RIVERDALE: Now you see it, now you don’t.
The old cell home sets in the old Lesley’s Mobile Home Park, a horror to some, have disappeared, even though some debris was left over the weekend.
“I know there’s a motivated demolition team collaborating with law enforcement in the city,” said Mike Eggett, Riverdale’s director of network development.
By mid-September, many cell homes remained in the unoccupied park in varying states of disrepair. The crews moved in soon after, and as of last week all trailers had been dismantled or demolished, according to Steve Brooks, the city manager. .
“There are still giant piles of rubble that need to be removed. Some of the cement and asphalt will also need to be removed,” Brooks said. The former Carey’s bike shop, adjacent to the west side of the park, has also been demolished. the land will be incorporated into the 152-unit apartment complex to be built on Lesley’s former property.
Residents of the site’s cell homes had until May 31 to leave to proceed with the redevelopment of the site, prompting an opposition outcry among many of them. But many of their sets stayed past the deadline, prompting lawsuits from some Riverdale citizens over the nature of the site, according to city officials.
As demolition efforts move forward, Brooks said city officials are satisfied. “Yes, even the piles of debris look bigger than the dismantled trailers. Now it looks more like a proposed allocation area,” he said.
Once approval is obtained, Eggett said developers could make major progress in drawing up plans for the five-building apartment complex.
“My understanding is that they will continue to clear the fields of debris and possibly begin some kind of floor preparation before winter,” Brooks said. However, there are still other measures to be taken, such as the removal of some power lines and the relocation of a transformer.
Mayor Braden Mitchell agrees with the progress being made and believes the early stages of the structure will continue now, weather permitting. “Their assignment is fully approved, so they can move forward at their own pace,” he said.
Wright Development Group is managing the progress of the 5. 5-acre site. A corporate representative did not respond to a question about the project’s next steps.
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