1061 Allen Street (January 2023)
The clean up of the former Crawford Furniture site is now underway by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said crews began their work on Tuesday, November 28.
She said the rainy weather has been helpful, “Because that means that’s less water that we have to use, less city water that we have to be used, everything has to be soaked. So when they start hauling that material out, because the asbestos laden material sat for so long it dried out. It has to be wet when it’s delivered to the landfill.”
Surdyk said there are a lot of “unknowns” with the site at 1061 Allen Street, “We know that there are some kind of tunnels or trenches. We know roughly where they might be but we don’t know exactly what they were used for, we don’t know exactly what might be in them. So, as they dig through the site and start removing materials there’s a possibility that they might find more stuff. So, they’ll handle that, although as they go through. They’ve been really great, communication wise, keeping us informed to what their plans are, what they’ve got going on.”
Surdyk said there also is a 15-foot deep basement that is holding a lot of debris to be cleaned out. She said as part of the EPA’s work plan, they will be remediating two to three feet of soil at the site and then bringing in clean fill to act as a cap.
Surdyk said the EPA is footing the $5 million clean up cost of the site. She said the only costs to the city include $100,000 to H.H. Rauh Contracting for an emergency demolition of the building following the fire on November 18, 2022.
Surdyk said she estimates that work will be completed by late Spring 2024.
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