Dunkirk eyesores coming down (11/4/03)

DUNKIRK — Work to clean up a collapsed downtown building and two adjoining dilapidated structures could begin in about a week.

Dunkirk City Council unanimously approved a low bid Monday, starting the process to take care of the mess at Lincoln Avenue and Main Street.

One of three buildings, the former city police station, 118 S. Main St., collapsed on Aug. 14. However, concerns about possible asbestos contamination and the condition of the neighboring structures have held up cleanup efforts.

At a special meeting Monday evening, council members reviewed two bids for the work, accepting the low one from LPI Paving, Excavating and Concrete of Portland. The firm’s bid to demolish the three buildings and clean up the area, but have the city pay all the landfill permit fees, totaled $9,870.

The only other bid submitted for the same work was $16,400, city officials said.

Landfill fees to dispose of the materials from the buildings will probably total another $10,000, city council president Dan Watson said.

Before any work can begin, the city will have to submit paperwork to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to obtain necessary permits. This process is expected to take about a week, Watson said.

Also in connection with the demolition and cleanup work, city attorney William Hinkle presented council members Monday with a resolution calling for the acquisition of the two neighboring structures, 105 and 107 Lincoln Ave., from Pennville resident William Landers, so they could also be demolished and cleaned up at the same time.

This will allow the city to reopen a section of Lincoln Avenue which has been closed to traffic since July when city officials first noticed that the north wall of the former police station had a noticeable bulge.

Hinkle said the two buildings owned by Landers had been appraised to have a negative value. He said the city would take over the property in return for having the structures demolished and cleaned up at no cost to Landers.

Two appraisers, Sam Hubbard and Jon Funk, submitted separate written statements, saying, “the cost to repair the real estate would greatly exceed the market value when repaired and that the cost of demolition would also exceed the value of the real estate upon the completion of the demolition,” Hinkle reported.

At one time council members expressed interest in having a fourth and possibly even a fifth building in the same area demolished, but they have yet to receive the go-ahead from the property owners to have that work done. Council members said they wanted to move ahead Monday with the demolition of the three worst buildings.

“Our purpose today is to get that area cleaned up and Lincoln Avenue re-opened,” Councilwoman Jean Esslinger said, adding: “It’s an eyesore.”[[In-content Ad]]