“…we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing hard hats…”
As we predicted more than a year ago, demolition of the decaying remnants of Harvey’s Dixie Square Mall in Chicago could begin by year’s end.
The South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association is poised to approve a contract with a Chicago-based demolition company to raze what remains of the mall, which closed its doors in 1979.
Work on clearing the property had been halted after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued Harvey in 2005 over asbestos removal at the site.
The former mall has been the centerpiece of several redevelopment plans through the years — including one involving converting it into a mausoleum — although none has been realized. City officials hope that clearing the remaining buildings on the property will make the site more attractive to developers.
The mayors association solicited bids for the demolition, and the apparent low bidder is McDonagh Demolition, which is offering to do the job for $2.29 million, according to Ed Paesel, the association’s executive director. The executive committee is expected to act on awarding the contract early next month, and McDonagh could start demolition by the end of December, Paesel said.
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