Memorial Coliseum deadline moved to March
After months of delays in demolishing Memorial Coliseum, city officials now say work will be complete by early March.
Demolition began last May, and the original deadline of 12 August has been rescheduled several times. The latest one was the end of January. City officials sent a letter in mid-January to contractor A&R Demolition and its bonding company to resolve ongoing delays.
City Project Manager Jerry Shoemaker said the demolition company, which is having financial struggles, did commit to finishing the project, a promise vetted by the bonding company.
“We could go ahead and suspend the work and do it ourselves, but that could open it up to a lot of problems,” Shoemaker said. “This is really the best scenario for the city.”
Personnel changes, money problems and bad weather have delayed work. The company owes the city thousands of dollars with $500 added each day the project stays incomplete. A company official could not be immediately reached for comment.
Over the past week, contractors have been working at the site and using heavy machinery to dig out a final portion of the structure — anchors of the building located five feet below ground. Once that work is complete, contractors will add backfill, an irrigation system and grass seeding.
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