City will seek bids for civic arena demolition
"It’s going to be an expensive five and a half acres of grass."
That was City Councilman Hollis McKeag’s thought about a plan to demolish the City of Midland’s, MI former civic arena at 515 E. Collins St.
The council is seeking bids for work to tear down the building, which was built in 1975 and last used in 2005 when the city opened a new facility on Fast Ice Drive.
The council followed a long process to find a new use for the facility, first looking at recreational uses and then opening it up for private redevelopment ideas. But a plan to use the building as a senior living facility didn’t get the 60 percent approval it needed from voters to end the land’s recreational use.
City Manager Jon Lynch said the council would have to approve a bid before work could begin on taking apart the facility and adjacent pool, which are located in Central Park. He said costs have increased since the city set money aside in a previous budget for the demolition.
Midlander Richard McCreadie said the council should have separated the ballot question into two, asking for approval to discontinue the park use and then to sell the property for private development. He also said the council should see if it is even allowed to tear down the building under the City Charter, which he said might require the city to maintain it.
"I would suggest you think long and hard, and even consider putting it back to recreational use," he said.
Mayor Bruce Johnson said the council will have City Attorney Jim Branson look into what is allowed, and bring a report back to the council at a future meeting.
Councilman Rokosz said he received calls about the city’s ballot proposal on the civic arena because it did not appear on ballots in Ward 1 Precinct 6. He said there have been other election issues in that precinct, and asked staff to look at procedures to prevent voters from being left out in the future.
Councilman Tom Adams, who represents that ward, said he also received calls and thinks the city should be careful with that precinct, which is in the City of Midland but located in Bay County.
|
Linear Mode
