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Asbestos
in the three buildings on the nine-acre site for Wake Forest’s future town hall
and other holdups have delayed its schedule.
Earlier
this summer – still feels like summer – the plan was to have the planning and
town boards review the site plan in September. As of last week, planner Ann
Ayers was still reviewing the development plan submitted by Hawkeye Building
Company and Blakely Design.
Last
week Town Manager Mark Williams told the commissioners, to their
disappointment, that groundbreaking for the building would most likely be in
the early spring. He does still expect construction to be complete in September
or October of 2009 in time for a centennial gala in December.
Part
of the delay was caused by the town board’s request for a new site
configuration to save some landmark trees and to change from a two-story parking
deck to a parking lot. That decision was made in July and should save $347,000.
Another
delay is caused by the discovery of asbestos in three buildings on the site:
the American Legion building, the former Green & Wooten insurance office
and a small white house next to the police department parking lot.
“We do have to abate the asbestos in all three buildings before we
move/disassemble/or tear down,” Williams said this week. “We will offer the
buildings to movers but as to where; your guess is as good as mine. If no
one wants to move them we will deconstruct and recycle materials as best as we
can.”
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