Demolition activity on the Fremad site and surrounding lots in downtown Glenwood will begin after Labor Day.  

Demolition activity is set to begin on the site starting on Tuesday, Sept. 5, and will likely last for a few weeks.  Additional fencing will be added on Tuesday, Sept. 5.  Fencing will block both alleys and completely enclose the demolition site.  The fence company has indicated they will be on site Tuesday morning to place the remaining fence.

The public is advised to watch for and obey signage in the area of the demolition project. There may be some areas where parking will be prohibited in and around the site while activity is taking place, and some streets around the site may be blocked for shorter periods of time for safety reasons. Any such restrictions will be clearly marked by contractors. Please stay out of marked restricted areas during the course of the project.

After a competitive solicited bid process over the summer, the project was awarded to the lowest qualified and verified bidder, Joe Riley Construction, Inc. of Morris at a cost of $281,107.50.

The main demolition activity was moved to later in the year, to avoid any conflicts with Waterama in Glenwood in late July and the remainder of the tourism season in August.

The demolition of the buildings is part of a redevelopment of the tax-forfeited property, and “requests for proposals for redevelopment are planned to be publicly solicited sometime after demolition is complete, it was stated by the Pope County HRA/EDA Director Jason Murray.  

Redevelopment costs are intended to be recouped through sale of the land as well as from proceeds from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) on the valuation of the redeveloped site. 

Questions on the project can be directed to the Pope County HRA/EDA at (320) 634-7847.