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Ravenswood council weighs demolition options for McIntosh Memorial Park, urges preservation planning
Summary
Council discussed soliciting demolition site plans with multiple options—removing foundations, filling in, or preserving architectural elements—and asked that bids specify salvaging historic cut stone; Ramsey Industrial offered to draft specs pro bono and the council will revisit options Nov. 18.
Parks staff urged the council to approach the planned demolition at McIntosh Memorial Park with care so that architectural elements can be preserved and future development remains possible.
The parks presenter warned that demolition specs should clarify whether contractors will remove foundations or simply fill them, noting that improper fill could prevent future construction without additional excavation. "If you do that, the problem is you won't be able to build new things on it without going back and taking up the foundation," the parks presenter said, citing other municipalities' experiences with subsidence.
Council discussed a range of options: demolish both buildings and remove foundations; demolish the community building and retain NYA Hall; or clear the site and leave it as parkland. Parks staff and the museum suggested specifying in the bid that certain architectural materials, such as cut stone, be set aside for preservation. The city said it will work with the museum to identify items worth saving and include those preservation requirements in the bid documents.
Ramsey Industrial offered to draft demolition specifications pro bono; a council member questioned any perceived ethics issue because of a personal connection, and other members indicated accepting the donation of drafting services was customary and permissible.
Next steps: council asked for bid specifications with clearly delineated alternatives (remove foundations vs. cover with fill, preserve specified materials, leave NYA Hall or not) and agreed to revisit the item at the Nov. 18 meeting.
