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Old middle school to be demolishedJan 28, 2013 (The Hawk Eye - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WEST BURLINGTON -- The West Burlington City Council approved a contract last week with Rock Island, Ill.-based Langman Construction for the demolition of the former middle school at 211 Ramsey St. With a price tag of $112,700, Langman told the council it will begin the demolition Feb. 5 and complete it within 10 days. The city originally estimated it would cost about $200,000 to raze the building, abate asbestos, haul away debris, put down 6 to 8 inches of dirt and remove the concrete parking lot. The city plans to divide the property into four lots for residential development. City Administrator Dan Gifford said the city has received a lot of interest in the future parcels, one of which is going to be used for low- to moderate-income housing. The city will use tax increment financing district to pay for the project, a requirement of which is that the fourth lot be used for low to moderate income housing. "We'll have to figure out some way to control the price of that fourth lot, so we're not going to put it to bid," Gifford said. "I'm not exactly sure how we're going to do that one, we may just have to set a price on it." Some members of the community have expressed interest in keeping a brick from the old middle school as a memento. Gifford said Langman has agreed to put a pile of bricks within reach outside the fence, and interested parties can come retrieve them at their leisure. "The contractor said this happens all the time on these kinds of jobs, so they're used to it," Gifford said. ___ (c)2013 The Hawk Eye (Burlington, Iowa) Visit The Hawk Eye (Burlington, Iowa) at www.thehawkeye.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |