High asbestos levels in parts of the Monterey building that burned down two weeks ago are slowing its demolition, Monterey's building official John Kuehl said Wednesday.

Consultants hired by the property's owners to test the T.A. Work Building for asbestos haven't completed their final report, but have indicated there is a high contamination level in certain areas of the building, Kuehl said.

The presence of asbestos in the 100-year-old building at 467 Alvarado St. holds implications for those focused on demolishing the building and for former occupants trying to remove their possessions, though it is too early to say exactly how it will affect either task, he said.

"The goal has always been to get as much retrieved as possible, and that still is the continued goal," Kuehl said. "It's just going to have to be done with a little more caution and at the direction of this (asbestos) consultant."

Asbestos is harmful when disturbed and becomes airborne, so Kuehl said he isn't concerned that it is unsafe for people walking near the building.

But it will be important to know the type of asbestos in the building before demolition, so that when walls come down, contractors and others know how to safely deconstruct the building, said Kuehl.

Friday, city officials predicted that preparations for the building's razing -- including removing possessions and bracing walls -- could happen as early as Tuesday.

But Kuehl said Wednesday he can't predict when it is going to happen.

"Every date that I thought was possible has gone," he said. "The time frame, it changes hourly, every day."

What is solid, he said, are the steps that need to happen before demolition can start. The steps include investigating the fire's cause, bracing two walls shared with neighboring buildings, and attempting to get back occupants' possessions. When the walls are braced, the neighboring commercial buildings north and south of the T.A. Work Building will be safe to re-enter.

Monterey Fire Department investigators searched inside the building Wednesday and will be followed by investigators from the property owner and occupants' insurance companies, Kuehl said.

Saucito Land Company, the property's owner for at least 80 years, is paying for the razing, including consultants and engineers assisting in the process.

Jerry Anderson of Ventana Asset Management, a Monterey property management and consulting firm working for Saucito Land Company, said Wednesday it is too early to know how much the process will cost.

He said the owners, who include members of the Work family, don't have a specific plan for the location's future.

"It's not immediately important," Anderson said. "Dealing with issues about building safety and public safety, helping the tenants sort through the process and overall complying with the city's order, they are at the top of our list.

"I think the main thing is that although everybody from the city manager on through to each individual tenant all wish that this would go along at a reasonable clip, the fact is that it is just taking a lot longer than anybody expected. It's just the way it is... We just have to be patient and stay with the process and have faith that this is going to get us through to the other side."