An era has come to an end; Demolition of Tony's starts this month
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., July 22, 2023 - Crews have already placed the fencing around Tony’s Town and Country as the demolition of the building in the 400 block of East Second Street Downtown The Dalles is to begin in the coming days.
Konell Construction and Demolition of Sandy, Ore., won the bid for the job at $422,355 as the City’s Urban Renewal Agency opens up the prime commercial location for redevelopment, according to a City press release.
The demolition and site work is expected to be complete sometime in October and sidewalk closures will occur periodically until that time. The building has 100 linear feet that front Second Street. The parking lot behind the building is also fenced off and not be open to the public during the project.
“Getting this site ready to build on is essential for quick construction, which is critical to the board’s vision for downtown,” said Urban Renewal board president and The Dalles City Councilor Darcy Long. “It’s exciting to be one major step closer to new development that will bring job opportunities, economic growth, and, potentially, housing for The Dalles.”
The Dalles Urban Renewal Agency purchased the property at 401-407 E. Second Street in 2016 with the hope of revitalizing a key part of the downtown core. The building sits on 0.28 acres and its footprint takes up approximately 11,000 sq. feet.
Urban Renewal purchased the Tony’s building for $420,000 in 2016, according to Wasco County property records. And a series of different business proposals for the location have been raised during the past several years.
Tokola Properties of Gresham, for example, considered building retail space, parking, and 69 apartments on the site until the company learned they would have to pay the prevailing wage. They walked in 2019.
Most recently TD Fitness Hub, a group of local partners considered purchasing the building.
But inspectors found more than $700,000 in repairs necessary to make the building safe and usable, killing the deal. A leaking roof, HVAC, foundation cracks, and multiple other issues mired the project in costly repairs.
In February 2021 the Urban Renewal Board directed staff to pursue demolition and hazardous material abatement to make way for a development-ready site.
The agency received assistance through the City of The Dalles Brownfield Revitalization program to conduct an environmental assessment, including the removal of an underground storage tank on Federal Street.
In addition, the Agency commissioned an engineering report to determine demolition costs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided a $600,000 grant to spur economic development and revitalize underdeveloped parcels in and around The Dalles in 2021.
A “brownfield” is a property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by actual or perceived environmental issues. By completing environmental site studies that would aid in overcoming redevelopment challenges, it is possible to transform brownfields from liabilities into assets that will benefit both property owners and the community.
In March 2023 Urban Renewal released an invitation to bid on demolition, awarding the contract to Konell Construction.
Tasks will include hazardous material abatement, demolition of two attached buildings, archaeological sampling beneath the foundation, backfill of packed gravel material, and installation of new permanent fencing, the city press release stated.
To read more about Tony’s, check out the CCCNews original story.
