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Richland County outlines demolition timeline and favors city-led redevelopment talks for campus
Summary
County staff presented demolition bid dates, asbestos remediation requirements and preliminary cost estimates; three redevelopment proposals (SPE Construction, City of Richland Center, Mark Miller for Copper Top) were discussed and the committee voted to pursue the city's proposal and continue coordinated city-county-developer planning.
Richland County staff told the Campus Reconfiguration Committee on May 6 that demolition bidding and contractor selection for campus buildings will proceed this spring and summer while the county simultaneously explores redevelopment options.
Josh, the staff member overseeing demolition planning, outlined the procurement schedule: the advertisement for bids was released April 27–May 1; a mandatory pre-bid walkthrough is set for May 12 at 10:30 a.m. in Melville Hall; bids are due May 29 at 10:00 a.m.; staff expect the county board to consider awards on June 16, with a notice of award issued June 17. Josh said the county is targeting substantial completion of demolition by Nov. 1 and final payment on Dec. 1.
Josh also said asbestos was identified in some buildings and that the bid packet (about 237 pages) includes insurance, remediation and performance requirements. He offered a preliminary demolition cost range drawn from comparables: "around... between 21 to 22 bucks a square foot" with a swing of about $5 per square foot depending on building size and salvage value; a demo that excludes salvageable copper might approach $700,000, while full demolition including copper elements could exceed $1 million.
Staff summarized three redevelopment proposals. Brian Fakuda reviewed SPE Construction's letter of interest to acquire roughly six acres for a pocket-neighborhood/two-to-three bedroom single-family product targeting prices under $400,000, noting infrastructure would be required. The City of Richland Center proposed acquiring 10–12 acres (northwest portion) to extend municipal utilities and subdivide into 17–24 residential lots, leveraging city engineering, TIF authority and federal grant funding. A late submission from Mark Miller proposed moderate renovation and repurposing of the Copper Top building for events, rehearsal, arts and small restaurant uses; staff cautioned such reuse can trigger broader code upgrade requirements.
Committee members asked whether the city and private-builder proposals overlapped on acreage and whether phasing and infrastructure funding could support multiple approaches. Staff recommended convening city, county and private developers to coordinate phasing and financing. After discussion, a motion to pursue the City of Richland Center's proposal and for staff to continue city-county-developer discussions carried by voice vote; the motion directed staff to explore development agreements but did not authorize any final sale or contract.
The committee also discussed a public rummage sale for salvageable campus items prior to demolition and set a tentative public sale for June 6 (8 a.m.–noon) with staff to post details on the county website. A follow-up on-site committee meeting was set for June 3 at 4:00 p.m. to review phasing and available acreage.
What happens next: staff will post bid documents and RFP information on Richland County's website, accept bids per the published schedule, and convene city and developer discussions to refine phasing and financing before any formal agreement returns to the committee or county board.
