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Council approves selective interior demolition of Flatiron Building; award $124,281 from grant funds
Summary
Mount Airy council approved selective interior demolition (phase 1) of the Flatiron Building, awarded Keller Brothers a $124,281 contract funded by an LBI grant, and discussed safety concerns, hazardous-materials testing and phased costs estimated at about $3.3 million.
The Mount Airy Town Council voted May 4 to award a contract for selective interior demolition of the Flatiron Building and advance a phased rehabilitation plan paid largely with grants.
Town staff described the Flatiron project as phased work with an estimated total project cost of about $3.3 million. The initial selective interior demolition (to prepare the shell) is the immediate step; staff said the structural phase that follows — including retaining walls and footers along Park Avenue — is estimated at roughly $1.5 million, with subsequent fit-out to follow.
Council members raised pedestrian and roadway safety concerns. One member said, "the elephant in the room is safety... the sidewalk out there isn't a code and you can't walk by the building," urging the council and task force to plan for street and pedestrian safety rather than stopping after interior work. Staff responded that an asbestos report found no asbestos requiring remediation and that lead paint sampling had identified elevated lead in some samples: "five of 13 samples came up with lead at point 5% weight or greater," and that hazardous materials would be removed and contained during demolition.
After discussion about phasing and the need to engage with MDOT on roadway feasibility, council awarded selective demolition to Keller Brothers in the amount of $124,281, to come from an awarded LBI grant. The council recorded the award and approved the recommendation by voice vote.
Council members repeatedly urged that pedestrian safety and plans for site improvements not be deferred indefinitely, and staff said the task force and council will need to pursue additional phases, grant applications and coordination with state agencies to address road and sidewalk safety as later phases proceed.
Next steps include contract execution, hazardous-materials handling per the asbestos/lead findings, and continued grant-driven phasing for structural work and fit-out.
