The City of Freeport approved eight demolition projects that will be funded with federal dollars. | Adobe Stock
The City of Freeport approved eight demolition projects that will be funded with federal dollars. | Adobe Stock
During its Feb. 21 meeting, the Freeport City Council approved a list of demolition contracts that will be funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The City opened up bidding for demolition contracts for eight properties and will pay for the projects with $3.4 million in grants from FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. The properties are on the east side of town in a regulated floodway, and the City will also pay for any asbestos abatement that comes along with the demolition.
"So to be clear too, the City owns more properties that are on this demolition list," Wayne Duckmann, the City's director of Economic Development, said in the meeting. "So what happens is, I'm constantly and my staff are in a constant process of certain properties are being appraised, I'm putting certain properties through title work to be closed, and then I'm also looking at it and I'm trying to compile anywhere from five to 10 properties and setting a deadline."
Duckmann also told the council about how the bid opening had gone so far. The City had received five bids, four that offered individual and lump bids for the eight properties and one that just gave a lump sum. Staff had already reviewed the bids and suggested a mix of three contractors across the eight properties—Kleckner Excavating, Fisher Excavating, and Alber and Son Earthworks. The total cost for the contracts would be $108,685. The cost breakdown would be as follows: Kleckner Excavating would receive $53,395 for the demolition of 50 S. Hooker, 210 and 125 N. Wilbur, 43 S. Hooker and 16 S. Rose; Fisher Excavating would receive $32,900 for the demolition of 629 E. Orange St; and Alber and Son would receive $22,390 for the demolition of 24 and 25 S. Johanna.
The council asked a few questions about the project and demolition contracts, including information about specific properties and how many other demolition projects there would be in the future. They ultimately approved the demolition contracts.