The Jonesboro Public Safety Committee voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 22, to hire Nabholz Construction to manage the demolition of the seven-story Citizens Bank building.
Immediately after the meeting, Councilman Chris Moore made a motion to walk the resolution to the City Council. The resolution was again unanimously passed.
The streets surrounding the building shut down in Sept. after a bulge on the side of the building was reported. A portion of Main Street remains closed.
" Many on council have been here for some time and are aware of the long-standing issues surrounding this property," Mayor Harold Copenhaver said. "While there have been numerous challenges and potential opportunities before my administration, it's evident that this is neither a new nor a simple issue."
In Oct., the city issued a 7-day notice of emergency condemnation to all known entities associated with the building. In Nov. the Public Safety Committee approved forwarding the pre-condemnation notice issuance.
Then, on Dec. 17, the full City Council unanimously approved a resolution for condemnation. After the resolution was confirmed, there was a mandatory 30-day wait period that ended on Jan. 16.
" This timeline shows that all actions adhered to the notices and waiting periods required by the City and State Codes, and this process moved as quickly as permitted by law," Copenhaver said.
Copenhaver also noted the city is not permitted to do partial building improvements or partial condemnation. The only two legal options were to either remove the building or leave it standing.
The City of Jonesboro will allocate $3.25 million for the building's demolition with money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA.) The city will take measures to recoup any costs from the owner or owners of the property.
The current estimates for demolition are $3.25 million with a wet demolition. Wet demolition involves spraying the section of the building with water to prevent potential asbestos-containing material (ACM) from becoming airborne during demolition.
A pump with a specialized filter installed in the basement of the building cleans the ACM water runoff. The water is filtered and tested before it is drained into storm drains.
Any rubble from the building will be loaded on dump trucks into large plastic liner bags, covered, and hauled to a landfill for safe disposal.
Additional costs could be needed if the wet process is not approved by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) or if any unknown factors arise.
" We've given a preliminary range of magnitude cost for wet demolition of the building," EVP Of Operations Nabholz Adam Seiter said. "It's wholly dependent on ADEQ's response. If they ask us to abate the building first and then demolish it, it adds about $650,000 to the cost."
If a wet demolition is not approved, the other plan is abatement followed by demolition. So, Nabholz Construction would abate and dispose of the ACM and tear down the building. This method would significantly extend the schedule.
The wet demolition timeframe is 10-12 weeks. However, if ADEQ only approaches traditional abatement and demolition, that timeframe could be extended to an additional 8-12 weeks.
Seiter said that the ADEQ has all of the information from the city now but it could still be two weeks until Nabholz or the city hears from them.
Weather conditions like high winds or lighting could affect the timeline. The city said it will monitor the weather on a daily basis and adjust the schedule with safety in mind.
" A city communications and engineering departments will work closely with Nabholz Construction to provide weekly updates and dedicate a section of the city website for frequently asked questions and other relevant information," Copenhaver said.
During demolition, portions of Main, Washington, and Union will be closed. Copenhavor said the closures will be posted on the Jonesboro website's weekly updates section.
