McMinnville officials have agreed to allow AEI to generate plans for the demolition of the Blue Building’s gymnasium and auditorium, and protection of the main building at a cost of $23,000. The measure passed 5-2 Tuesday night. Vice Mayor Ben Newman and Aldermen Ken Smith, Mike Neal, Jimmy Bonner and Rick Barnes voted in favor of it, while Mayor Jimmy Haley and Alderman Billy Wood voted against it.What the board approved was allocating the additional funds requested by AEI to generate plans on removal of the two structures and protection measures for the main building, not the actual demolition work.Prior to the vote Haley explained his decision.“I know the belief is the building is almost impossible to save,” he said, “but we did vote as a board, several times, to allow an entity to try to market the building with a chance of saving the whole thing.