The city of Merrill is moving forward with plans to demolish the former Page Milk building at 2200 Sturdevant St. The building has fallen into disrepair over the years and is considered blighted by the city.
Sixteen potential contractors attended a mandatory walk-through of the Page Milk building, which has areas of lead paint and asbestos requiring abatement. Bids were due Dec. 14. Six firms submitted bids, ranging from $231,000 to $470,000. The low bidder was C&D Excavating of Merrill, with bids of $80,000 for abatement and $171,000 for demolition. C&D has undertaken several other demolition projects for the city, including the Anson & Gilkey property and the Lincoln House, in recent years.
On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Merrill Redevelopment Authority will consider awarding the bid to C&D.
The demolition project will be funded through a $417,350 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Idle Industrial Sites Redevelopment Program, awarded to the city in March 2015. WEDC’s Idle Industrial Sites Redevelopment Programs, created in 2013, stimulates investment and job creation in idle, abandoned and underutilized manufacturing sites that cannot be solely redeveloped by the private sector due to their scale and complexity.
In Merrill, the grant will be used to help fund a $1.4 million project to redevelop 19 acres of vacant industrial property along the Wisconsin River.
The properties to be addressed through the grant are demolishing and redeveloping the current Page Milk building, acquisition of the former Merrill Pavers property as well as removal of the existing water tower and foundations at the Anson & Gilkey property, and extending water and sewer lines into the property. In addition, funds will be used to create paved parking areas at Park and Kyes streets as part of the River Bend Trail.
Work at the Anson & Gilkey property is ongoing. The water tower was taken down in October and a new tower was recently constructed for cellular transmitters formerly located on the water tower.
Page Milk Company opened in 1925 and closed in 1973. Until the summer of 2014, D.C Motors LLC operated in a portion of the building.