The city of Marshall on Friday became the owner of a property with an uncertain future but plenty of possibilities.
The purchase of the former Marshall Junior High School property along North 4th Street from the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership of Slayton was finalized Friday. The city bought the property for $183,000.
"Nothing has been planned for it yet," city engineer/director of public works Glenn Olson said.
The Housing Partnership, along with the Schwan Food Co., had planned a townhouse style development on the site more than a year ago. Schwan pulled out from the plan, and the Housing Partnership did not pursue it on its own.
The site had also been suggested as a location for a proposed new Marshall Lyon County Library as recently as this summer.
The most recent suggestion came as the city reviewed a flood prevention plan for the Tiger Lake watershed area near the Marshall Middle School.
Library planners have selected a site near the middle school and the intersection of Saratoga and C streets as a site for a proposed one-story roughly 28,000-square foot library.
The location near C and Saratoga streets was also suggested as a flood retention pond in the Tiger Lake flood prevention plan.
If that option is chosen by the city, the proposed library would need to move.
There has also been brief discussions at council meetings on speculation the former junior high site could be used for commercial or retail development, residential development by a private developer or public use such as the library or city hall.
The council had made no formal or informal decisions or suggestions on the use of the former junior high site.
Now that the site is bought, demolition on the building can start.
City Attorney Dennis Simpson said the contractor was given an order to proceed with demolition when the purchase was completed Friday.
"Hopefully on Monday morning we will start to see some cleaning out of the (school) building," Simpson said.
"Demolition will start on the inside," Olson said.
Demolition will cost about $730,000, Olson said.
The contract with MAAC Inc. of Montevideo has two parts. MAAC will remove the hazardous material for about $412,000, and demolish the building and improve the property for development for about $324,000, Olson said. Hazardous material includes florescent lights which have mercury, and floor and ceiling tiles with asbestos and similar material.
The material must be brought to a hazardous waste disposal site by a licensed hazardous waste contractor, which MAAC is, Olson said.
"Demolition includes removing the foundation, the steam heat plant and restoring the elevation...," Olson said.
The site will be ready for development when the demolition is completed next year, Olson said.