Demolition starts for proposed Mower County justice center

Oct 31, 2008 (Post-Bulletin - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- AUST | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Downtown is undergoing destruction.

Clouds of dust floated across First Street Northeast in Austin on Thursday as the jaws of a backhoe started demolition on the former Showgirls Saloon building (old Brown Derby) that hosted one of Austin's two exotic-dance clubs for several decades. It's the first physical change to the downtown as crews begin to prepare the two-block site for Mower County's proposed criminal justice center in Austin's central area.

The crew then moved next to the 100-year-old building that once housed Thirsty's Bar at First Street and Third Avenue.

Neither business currently has plans to reopen in Austin.

Next in line

After the crew is finished with the two properties, it will begin demolition -- likely late next week -- on the Culligan Water, Beltone Hearing Center and Dave Thompson Insurance Agency properties, said Steven Lang, assistant city engineer.

Once those have been cleared, demolition will move to the former Usem's car dealership on Second Avenue Northeast, which last was used by Austin Medical Center for storage.

All of that work is expected to be done by Dec. 5, with soil corrections to follow on those properties before winter sets in, Lang said.

The city agreed to acquire and clear the two blocks if the county built the justice center downtown.

Spring construction

Despite unexpected delays for the city in acquiring some properties, officials believe that won't hold up the start of construction next spring for the justice center, which will serve as jail and court facilities.

On Tuesday, county coordinator Craig Oscarson said the project's construction manager thinks work won't be delayed if soil corrections are done this year for most of the land under the justice center's footprint. That area runs from Steve's Pizza along Second Avenue to the north across Third Avenue.

The block north of Third Avenue would be vacant for possible expansion.

The manager thinks then there would be enough work for two months next spring in a U-shaped area around Steve's Pizza, south of Third Avenue, Oscarson said. The Steve's Pizza property -- not acquired yet -- might be ready for construction between April and June, he said.

Construction is targeted to start between March 15 and April 1, with a goal to open the justice center by fall 2010.

City officials need to acquire property on both sides of Third Avenue before they can vacate the roadway for demolition.

Those areas contain Steve's Pizza and Anytime Fitness, which are set for a Nov. 12 eminent-domain court hearing on the city's request to possess the properties.

The other property, T.P.T.S. (apartments/former Righty's Bar), is scheduled for a similar hearing Jan. 21. Negotiations are ongoing.

A version of this story appears in the Austin Post-Bulletin.

Buildings torn down:

Thirsty's Bar

--200 Third Ave. N.E.

--Built in 1908.

--Owners don't plan to relocate the business.

--Formerly known as The Shipwreck and Tiki Pub.

--George A. Hormel II, known as Geordie, used to run the Tiki Pub in the 1950s and 1960s.

Showgirls Saloon

--318 First St. N.E.

--Built in 1913.

--Owners considering new business opportunities.

--Used to be the Brown Derby, with exotic dancers since at least the 1960s.

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