Picture from Coon Rapids Iowa Facebook Page
A portion of Fifth Avenue in Coon Rapids will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday while crews are demolishing a section of a building as part of a project to promote new business opportunities in the downtown district. For those two days, Fifth Avenue south of Main Street to Railroad Street will be closed while Schroeder Excavating of Coon Rapids will demolition the north side addition of the original building located at 422 Main Street to remove asbestos that was found in the flooring, wood paneling glue and exterior caulking. The crew will be tearing down and separating the materials, documenting the weight and where the materials go as for the requirements to be reimbursed for a grant program. The city has been awarded a Derelict Building Grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide funding to assist with the demolition and safety discarding of the construction materials. The City of Coon Rapids will then replace the roof, retain the foundation slab of the addition, and fill in the south wall with brick to attract potential business owners to the property. Commuters frequently traveling on Fifth Avenue are asked to plan an alternative route until the road opens back up on Wednesday. City officials and Main Street Coon Rapids want to thank residents for being flexible during this process and look forward to presenting the community with new opportunities, continuing to improve the downtown district and the city overall.