City discusses agreement for asbestos abatement at Centennial Building; demolition tied to urban-renewal funds

City administration presented a service agreement with Eocene Environmental Group on April 15 to prepare bidding and contract documents for asbestos removal at the Centennial Building, 1140 Third Avenue Southeast.

Staff said Eocene previously completed an asbestos inspection that detected asbestos-containing materials in roof layers and 12-by-12 floor tile. Administration recommended council approval of the agreement and to proceed with asbestos abatement followed by demolition of the building; staff noted the Iowa Department of Natural Resources indicated asbestos surveys older than one year may not be considered valid and that the IDNR will make case-by-case determinations about timing between removal and demolition.

Officials said the property is located within the Le Mars Highway 75 bypass urban renewal area and therefore may be eligible for tax-increment financing reimbursement for abatement and demolition costs. The city will need to amend the urban renewal plan to add abatement and demolition of the Centennial Building as a project if it wishes to use TIF funds for reimbursement.

At the April 15 meeting, staff recommended approval and discussion occurred about timing, regulatory requirements and funding; a formal council vote on the agreement was not recorded in the portion of the transcript provided.