Three downtown Rock Island buildings will soon meet the wrecking ball, according to city officials.
The Rock Island City Council recently approved demolition of the buildings because structural issues left them uninhabitable.
Utilities have been cut to the former Bear Manufacturing building, 2016 5th Ave., and the two adjacent Klass buildings at 1901 1st Ave. and 111-113 19th St.
Demolition should be complete on the Bear Manufacturing building by the week of Feb. 5 and the Klass buildings should be demolished by the week of Feb. 12, city officials said.
“Demolition of older buildings, especially in a historic area like downtown, is always a last resort after all other feasible options have been explored,” Community and Economic Development Director Miles Brainard said in a city news release. “Still, the demotion of the Bear Manufacturing building as well as the Klass buildings offers exciting opportunities for new in-fill development on attractive, shovel-ready sites.”
Mr. Brainard added that the Bear Manufacturing Building was caught in a cycle of abandonment for nearly 20 years. During that time, it deteriorated substantially with a failed roof and other structural issues making rehabilitation unlikely. The city acquired the property through the county’s tax auction process, undertook a structural evaluation and issued a last call for redevelopment proposals. Receiving none, the city is proceeding with demolition to eliminate the danger the failing building poses to the public.
The Klass Buildings have been vacant for more than 20 years as well, though subsequent owners have explored different redevelopment options with the city during that time. Unfortunately, none of those redevelopment proposals have ever worked out. Structural deterioration of the two buildings left them at risk of collapsing into the street or adjacent properties, so the city initiated legal action to get the most recent owner to repair or demolish them. In the end, the owner agreed to convey the two buildings to the city so it could more swiftly demolish them and ensure public safety.
The public should expect lane closures on 1st Avenue and 19th Street and on 5th Avenue throughout the duration of both projects.
