The Manhattan City Commission plans to award a demolition contract for the 3003 Anderson Avenue property damaged during the 2018 Labor Day weekend flood. The City Commission has the item on its consent agenda Tuesday for approval. A timeline for demolition hasn’t been announced.
The demolition is coming after Plaza West shopping center property owner Mark Samarrai failed to meet a December 1, 2019 deadline to address health and safety concerns. City Manager Ron Fehr says the contract is awarded to Remco Demolition of Leavenworth for the amount of $49,810.
“We’ve tried several different attempts for that owner to rectify the situation and they have not. There are existing health hazards and with the higher heat that will only get worse,” he said.
The building was inundated with seven feet of water after heavy rains fell September 3, 2018. One year later Samarrai told the Manhattan City Commission that work was stalled while he spent a stint in the hospital. This had made it difficult for him to recruit the labor needed to clean up decaying food left behind by the former restaurant tenant.
“The cost of $49,810 and any other related costs we might have had (i.e. administrative or advertising) will be charged to their tax bill,” Fehr said.
If there is still an outstanding balance, Fehr says the remainder will be sent to tax collection. The costs can still be paid off if the property, not the building, is transferred due to a lien on the property.
