A building that housed one of the city's oldest businesses will soon fade into history.
The city closed on a deal Friday for the Gro Mor property at 307 S. Evers St. City Manager Greg Horwedel expects to seek bids late this month from companies interested in tearing down the plant.
He expects the factory will be torn down as early as July.
The city bought the plant, which made fertilizer for nearly 90 years, as part of an effort to redevelop an area just south of downtown.
The city paid $630,000 for the property, but the owners returned $80,000 for the cost of building demolition, so the net cost to the city was $550,000, Horwedel said.
Groundwater pollution has been detected at the plant, but most of the expected $250,000 to $400,000 cleanup costs should be covered by a federal grant, city officials have said.
The purchase price was $50,000 lower than originally negotiated due to the pollution cleanup costs that won't be covered by the federal grant, he said.
The city is using money from its Community Investment Agency to buy the property.
Gro Mor is in the midtown area, 85 acres of mostly commercial and industrial property, south of the historical downtown district. The city also several other properties in the area.
City officials hope to find a developer to redevelop the area with a central park, sidewalk cafes and restaurants, boutiques, and town homes. City officials want the architecture of midtown to complement the character of downtown.
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