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RTC incinerator ready for demolition
Published 11:47 a.m., November 23, 2009
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The incinerator building at the Regional Treatment Center (RTC) may be demolished by the end of the year, with the property’s reservoir to follow. Watch »
The incinerator building at the Regional Treatment Center (RTC) may be demolished by the end of the year, with the property’s reservoir to follow.
Contractors have already begun taking shelving and other miscellaneous parts out of the incinerator building, City Engineer Dan Edwards said Friday. Once those items are removed, a salvage company will come in to recycle as much steel and other materials as possible. That could happen next week, Edwards said, and depending on the weather, the entire building may be demolished by the end of the year.
Preliminary work is also underway to remove the RTC’s reservoir, located northwest of the road linking the nurses cottages and the incinerator building. Last year the city extended the facility’s water main to an elevated water tank off of Cleveland Avenue and Skogmo Boulevard, ending the RTC’s reliance on water pumped from the half a million gallon reservoir.
The demolition of the reservoir will include the stripping of topsoil and the removal of underground concrete, Edwards said. The work is expected to begin yet this year, with winter weather determining how far the project proceeds. A deep freeze may delay the filling in of the reservoir cavity, which could be left open over the winter. Excavations at the incinerator site will also need to be filled in and seeded later next year, Edwards said.
At a meeting Nov. 2, the Fergus Falls City Council awarded the incinerator and reservoir project to Chad Monson Excavating LLC of Willmar at a cost of $184,000, the lowest bid for the work.
The cost of demolishing the incinerator was incorporated into the $7.1 million in grant funds awarded by the state, said City Administrator Mark Sievert. State money was earmarked for reservoir demolition when the city took ownership of the RTC in 2007.
Meanwhile, Sievert is working with developers Campus Development Group (CDG) and the Department of Administration to finalize a grant agreement for RTC improvements. Of the total grant funds, $4 million is designated for public infrastructure improvements, with restrictions on how and where that money can be spent. According to Sievert, the city wants to ensure that the state dollars cover as much of CDG’s needs as possible so that developers can stretch their private funding farther.
The negotiations with the state have been ongoing since early summer, in part due to difficulty establishing meeting dates.
“As much as people are probably frustrated about that, I’m not overly concerned about that because I think we still have a good, solid project,” Sievert said. “It’s better to take our time and have a good project than work hastily and maybe it doesn’t fall together.”
Sievert said he hopes the groups will be able to come to a consensus before the city council meets in mid-December. Once the agreement with the state is finalized, the council will revisit a request from CDG to extend their project timeline into 2010.
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The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post. To post a comment you will need to register. Or, if you're already registered but have not included your true, verifiable identity with your registration, you will need to update your account to include your identity. Effective Dec. 1, 2009, all posts appear with the commenter's true identity, which must be verified by site staff. Those who registered prior to Dec. 1, 2009, should be aware that once you update your information with your true identity, all prior posts under your user name will also indicate your true identity. If you do not wish to link yourself to prior comments, you should register again with a different user name.Posted by The_Fighting_Otter (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
But The Chinease are coming the Chinease are coming... Yeah right, all we have done by believing that bowl of bologna is let these public figures take paid trips overseas at no cost to them, and turned down actual money making opportunities in that someone actually wanted to do a film here. And they say this ciy council is all about the buck, well they sure like to spend it but they really don't want to make any money. Sounds to me like they really want this city to die out worse than it already is.
Posted by watermelon (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are you really going to bring up the film again? An unknown producer from the twin cities offering ten grand to the city? Ten grand to a municipality is like 50 cents to a young child. Just enough to get some cheap candy, but that's about it. If they had turned down someone like the Coen brothers, then there would have been cause for alarm. As for this guy-his only productions have terrible reviews and went straight to the bargain dvd bin. No one knows who he is outside of the twin cities. Stop making it out to be more than what it is.
As for the incinerator-what a waste. All the millions spent on that thing. And now they're paying almost 200k just to tear it down again.
Posted by watermelon (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FYI: Dav Kaufman never even _started_ the movie that was supposed to have taken place at the RTC. 13 hours in a warehouse was already mostly finished when he came to the city council. He produced a documentary on reptile breeders/raisers instead. Because you know...if he had shot a documentary on reptile breeders at the RTC, it would have brought...reptile breeders from all over the country to Fergus Falls. To breed reptiles and eat hamburgers.
I also want to say that I've personally met Dav and he's a nice guy. Just doesn't make some of the greatest stuff...yet.
Posted by The_Fighting_Otter (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 7:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are you serious watermellon. Sure it was already partially filmed but 10,000 to the city and how much would the local economy boosted. Hotel Rooms, eating areas, people brought in, gotta see past the little picture there dude.
Posted by The_Fighting_Otter (anonymous) on November 23, 2009 at 7:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey watermellon, just for fun purposes... How much money has the RTC made us since we declined the movie offer ???
Oh thats right, it hasn't made a penny, but sure has cost us money. 10,000 is 10,000 it is better than nothing.
Posted by DogLover (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Demolish it and build a huge soccer arena!!! Oh, maybe a huge auditorium for Dart Leagues??? They haven't been asking for anything. Or, maybe the Water park can go there??
Posted by Mai_Orez (anonymous) on November 24, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
...million gallon reservoir! Who wants a community pool?
Posted by tbaarr (chuck weber) on November 25, 2009 at 7:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
better use of the reservoir let it be the dumping area for all the extra snow the city has to get rid of. Then in the spring just filter it and the pool is full
Posted by mytwocents (Heather Sehm) on November 28, 2009 at 11:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thats right 10,000 is 10,000!!! The city keeps tearing down all the historic things and its WRONG!! But if you were going to put something in there that would be of use to the public in this town for the CHILDREN and adults as well then I vote a community pool(year round one) OR how about people start thinking of a plan so that our cienama doesnt shut down.. cuz I heard that was going to be closing as well!!!!!!!!
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