LINCOLN (KFSM) — The City Council has approved tearing down a dilapidated apartment complex, but the building still needs to undergo an asbestos survey before demolition begins.
The council on Thursday (July 20) awarded a contract to Leming & Son Trucking, Inc. to tear down the Townhouse Apartments. City officials were working Friday (July 20) to set up an asbestos inspection.
“There are a limited number of those providers licensed in the state,” said Steve Zega, Lincoln City Attorney. He added that a timetable for demolition hadn’t been set.
In April, a Washington County judge declared the apartment complex a public nuisance.
Jay Norton, the city’s Fire Administrator, examined the building and found several hazards, including exposed wiring, a broken central heating and air system, and only one working smoke alarm.
The inspection also noted the building’s plumbing was in disrepair, there were no firewalls between units and found evidence of black mold growing inside.
The 15-unit complex at 119 N. Carter St. once housed about 40 people, including children and the elderly.
James Stewart, of Delaware County, Okla., has owned the property since 1988, according to court documents.
In June, he agreed to a court order to move forward with razing the complex.
