ST. LOUIS — The city is seeking a contractor to tear down a house at 117 S. East St., and its bid specification tells bidders to treat the building as if it contains asbestos because it is too unsafe to inspect.
The specification, dated Sept. 2, covers “complete demolition, removal, transportation, and lawful disposal” of a residential structure with a footprint of about 2,480 square feet, including contents, porches, foundations and basement floor. A detached 16-by-20-foot garage on the south property line stays. Utilities are to be cut off at the right-of-way, the sewer lateral capped and marked, and the lot graded, seeded and left “mowable.” Work must finish within 20 calendar days of the notice to proceed, with liquidated damages of $100 a day after that.
On asbestos, the city writes that “due to the Building’s deteriorated structural condition and associated safety hazards,” it is “unsuitable for the occupancy and inspection activities necessary to conduct a comprehensive asbestos survey,” so the contractor “shall assume that asbestos-containing materials are present.” Because of the building’s age, lead paint is presumed as well. The contractor handles the state and federal demolition notifications and must document disposal.
One line points to who owns the property: the city says that “on behalf of the Gratiot County Treasurer’s Office,” it asked Consumers Energy to retire the gas service. The county treasurer holds tax-foreclosed property, which suggests the house was lost to foreclosure, but the specification does not say so directly and we have not yet pulled the treasurer’s records.
Bids are due at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at city offices, 300 N. Mill St., where they will be opened and read aloud. Bidders were offered a walk-through on the morning of Sept. 18.
Separately, the city has noticed a public hearing for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the council chambers on an application for an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Exemption Certificate at 137 N. Mill St. That state program lets a city freeze the taxable value of a rehabilitated commercial building for up to 12 years. The notice does not name the applicant or the planned work.