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That building, along with the former West Ward Elementary school building, three residential houses and a building at West Third and A, will be torn down using the $629,700 grant the city applied for and received from the Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
The McCook City Council unanimously approved the contract concerning the federal funds, between the city and the state agency the grant will come through, the State of Nebraska Department of Economic Development.
City Manager Kurt Fritsch said demolition could begin as early as November.
Other consent agenda items approved by the council Monday night at the regular meeting included:
* an agreement with the Nebraska Games and Parks Commission that allows the completion time for Phase II of the Kelley Park Walking Trail to be extended from Sept. 30 to Nov. 16. The extension was needed to give ample time to complete pay requests and to make sure all the paperwork is done.
* set the property tax for 2009-10 at a different amount than the property tax request for the prior year. The city's levy remains the same at $.319044, with the current valuation generating $940,669 in tax revenue for the coming year. This is the final step in the budget process as required by Nebraska state law.
* two resolutions that reflects the pay changes for McCook City Firefighters / paramedics and to implement the changes.
The revisions incorporate the results of the 2009 Comparability Study. The McCook Professional Fire Fighter's Association Local 2100 have agreed to the changes and the new pay grid has been included into the 2009-10 budget.
* the request from the Bison 2010 Reunion Committee to close down Norris Avenue for a two-block stretch, from C Street to E Street, along with the alley on East D, from 5 p.m. to midnight next July 3, for a classic car show and street dance.
* the request from McCook National Bank to close off the alley between Norris Avenue and West First Street, from West B to West C, from 3 p.m., to 12 midnight, for the annual Halloween Haunted Bank Tour on Oct. 24.
* two applications for special designated liquor licenses: one for the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce for a mixer at Wagner Chevrolet, Oct. 14, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with an alternative date of Oct. 15 and another for Justin Bilby of Rock N Horse Lounge, for the Farm and Ranch Expo at the Kiplinger Arena, Nov. 18-19, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.
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Guess I should have gone to the meeting. Was wondering if people can purchase or have some of the bricks from the West Ward building? Or some momento?
somebody should ask if people can purchase bricks to help off set the cost..
It sure is good to finally see that the old Romanoff building at Norris and B is going to be demolished. I can remember when this building was full of renting tenants and thriving businesses. Unfortunately, it has been vacated too long and needs to come down. Every time I come back to McCook, it catches my eye as I go by and see this eye sore. Kudos city of McCook. I'm also happy to see that maybe we are paving the way for a new public safety station by demolishing the old West Ward. I'm guessing that the bricks should be available and as far as off setting the cost? wasn't this all paid for with grant funding?
We (at the city)have discussed incorporating the bricks in the design of some monument entry signs into the city, to emphasize the "on the bricks slogan" and to preserve at least some aspect of the past. However, I don't think anyone is opposed to trying to make bricks available to the public for keepsakes. Please feel free to address this with City Council.
Does anyone know what ever happened to the time capsule that was placed in the ground at West Ward by the flag pole in the 1970's? Has that been opened?
As a former student of west ward, I would love to be able to purchase some bricks as momentos. Also, I would LOVE to walk through it just one more time. I would humbly like to ask the city to allow both of these requests for all the current and former McCookites who will forever have fond memories of those days. As some of us live several hours away, posting on this website in advance would be beneficial. Thank you.
Taxpayers bailout of Romanoffs/privately owned building at the end of buildings life and I think it is a disgrace to all building owners in McCook . I just wonder why it finally took us taxpayer funded grants to tear down a privatly owned Romanoff building that enjoyed and collected business rents for years and choose not to fix and repair when they were rented out and then dumps it on us at the end and the taxpayers grant money could be used for other uses that McCook needs not private business ownership bail outs in McCook . If all of us did this dumping of old building in McCook on taxpayers where would we all be in this community?
My guess Jlake you weren't around many years ago when 2 business men in this town did almost the same thing. They developed a subdivision, and when the lots would not sell, they dumped them and the cost of the improvements on the taxpayers of McCook without batting an eye. I will never buy gas at certain gas stations in McCook, Culbertson, and Arapahoe. Also, I'm very happy to never buy any type of musical anything at a certain music store in McCook. I figured that I have been paying for their screwup for many years.
And while I'm on the subject of screwing the people and gas stations, gas is 19 cents a gallon cheaper in Hastings. About 8 or 9 cents cheaper in Cambridge. Check the prices on the web before heading east, everytown between McCook and Kearney, Kearney and Lincoln, Lincoln and Omaha is cheaper than McCook. Oh forgive me I keep forgetting about how much more costly transporting that gas to McCook is!!!
I was around and they were not the only ones...Q street developement flopped, /RANCHERSUPPLY/WEW/MOST GOLF COURSE LOTS ALL RETURNED TO CITY from folk with plenty of money but all within the laws/rules..... my compliant mostly is with when financially well off familites like romanoffs actually had a going business and recieved rents/lease and then abandon buildings to let us eat the cost at the end of their life and choose not to fix or repair them. City should have gone after them years for building code violations long ago just like regular deadbeats that they really are and not russian royalty.