By the end of the year, the vacant New Method Laundry building, located at 315 Main St., may be razed. One neighboring property owner says the sooner it can be demolished, the better.
The city council on Monday approved an award bid to Impact Industrial Services, LLC, not exceeding $804,416, which includes a 15% contingency. The approval is contingent on emergency funding from the State.
Public Works Director Leo Evans said the project is a high-risk endeavor that has a high consequence of failure and that having a team with a proven track record of successful similar experiences was in the best interest of the city.
The City of Cañon City purchased the building in 2023, as well as the land north of the building, located at 316 Macon Ave., which is used for parking.
City representatives have been working with the Historic Preservation Commission and State Historic Preservation Office, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to uncover any soil contamination from the laundry chemicals.
During the Dec. 20 Historic Preservation Commission meeting, Economic Development Director Rick Harrmann gave an update on the condition of the building and the process to determine any potential contamination.
According to the minutes from the meeting, New Method Laundry closed in 2020 when the decades-old boiler died and could not be repaired. The building was put up for sale. Both adjacent property owners independently contacted the city and expressed concern about the building being vacant and the possibility of collapse, which would affect their properties. City staff inspected the building and realized it was structurally unsound with an open sky visible in several parts of the building.
City staff evaluated whether the building could be sold and/or rehabbed. The entire second floor would have to be removed and rehabbing the building would likely cost more than the property was worth. Staff didn't think there were likely investors or that the building was marketable, so it needed to be demolished.
Kevin Camerlo, who owns the building east of New Method, asked the council to take immediate action on demolition.
"I want to impress upon the council the dire shape of New Method Laundry," he said. "It is in grave shape. I believe it's going to collapse at any time. It's just in terrible shape."
The building's main wooden support beam has nearly rotted and Camerlo said the roof hasn't been maintained in more than 40 years, putting his structure at risk.
"The leaks are so bad that they have rotted out a lot of the main bearing points," he said. "What's happening now is the roof is sagging in both directions toward the middle - it's not a matter of if it's going to come down, it's a matter of when it's going to come down and I believe it will have a catastrophic effect on my building."
Because of the risks, he's kept his storefronts at 323 and 325 Main Street vacant for three years.
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"It will be a domino effect, I think, when it collapses," he said.
In light of the recent heavy snowstorm, and the ensuing collapse of the east wall of the building located at 612 Main St., city officials moved this project to the top of their to-do list.
City Administrator Ryan Stevens said funding for demolition includes $345,000 left over from the EPA multi-purpose grant; $402,208 in emergency funding from the state, if approved; and $57,208 in funds.
After the meeting, Evans said once the notice to proceed is given, which likely will be in May, the contractor has 180 days to complete the project.
"Time is of the essence on this," Camerlo said. "If we can fast-track this in any possible way, that would be a smart move."
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