Council approves demolition contracts for Moose Lodge site and hazardous house on Howard Street

Maplewood City Council on Feb. 10 approved two demolition contracts for city‑owned and nuisance properties.

For an unoccupied single‑family house at 1830 Howard Street N, staff reported repeated complaints, an inspection finding it structurally hazardous, and a prior abatement order. Staff recommended and the council approved a contract with Goodmanson Construction to remove the structure. The contract price reported to the council was $41,000 for demolition plus $1,400 for asbestos removal (total $42,400). City attorney Mr. Beatty explained the city will attempt to bill the property owner and, if unpaid, will place a special assessment on the property to recoup costs; assessments are collectible through property taxes or on sale of the property.

On the city‑owned Moose Lodge site (three parcels, about two acres), staff presented two bid options: building removal only (low qualified bid ~$249,000) or full removal of building and parking lot. Council approved option 2 and awarded Gustafson Excavating a $314,898.75 contract to remove both the building and parking lot, with a projected completion date of May 22, 2025. Ms. Parr noted the bids include asbestos abatement. Staff also reported completing an LHB blight update; that preserves three years of blight status after demolition, which the city said preserves eligibility for a future tax‑increment financing (TIF) redevelopment district if a developer is found and the council pursues that route.

Council members debated whether leaving the parking lot and saving ~$65,000 would be preferable versus paying to fully remove pavement and have a clean slate for developers. Public works staff noted added costs and seasonal timing considerations for in‑house removal. Mr. Sable said staff negotiated roughly $15,000 off an initial quote, citing teamwork in procurement. Both demolition motions carried by voice vote.