Removal of debris left by the demolition of the former Ace Hardware building in downtown International Falls began Thursday morning.
The building, destroyed by a May 23 fire, was demolished June 27.
Removal of the debris from the site meets the requirements set earlier in an order of the International Falls City Council, as did the demolition.
The demolition and removal comes at the expense of the corporation and it’s officers, Bob and Dick Peterson, that owns the building, according to city officials.
The debris will be placed in a pit at the city’s demolition landfill, as approved by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The corporation is responsible for expenses involved in opening the pit, filling it with the debris, and covering it, in accordance with MPCA rules.
In addition, the council has agreed to provide $15,000 toward the removal of the debris. The money had been earmarked for construction of a safety wall around the site in the event the demolition did not take place when expected. Insurance coverage of $1,000 from No Place Like Home, the business that was operating in the building at the time of the fire, will also be provided for debris removal.
City Attorney Steve Shermoen this week told the council that the Petersons have committed to pay for all costs beyond the funds available through the corporation.
“They have complied with the order,” said Shermoen, who added that he anticipated “looking at a flat lot where Ace Hardware building used to be” by the Saturday deadline for debris removal.
“It’s a nice resolution from where we started,” said Falls Councilor Cynthia Jaksa Monday.
Kelly Meyers, city building inspector, said the site could be built upon, provided the construction fits the footprint of the former building and includes heavy fire separation from all boundaries.
“It’s not so much the lot size as it is the type of construction needed to build on that site,” Meyers told The Journal earlier.
