Stanwood leaders pursue Broadway deconstruction, seek asbestos abatement funds with local aid offered

Stanwood city officials in 2021 advanced a plan to deconstruct derelict properties on Broadway Street and to pursue asbestos abatement grants, and local economic-development leaders offered to help cover abatement costs.

At multiple meetings, council members and city staff said they would seek a 50/50 match from the Iowa DNR brownfields program for asbestos removal and would solicit oversight proposals from environmental consultants such as Terracon. Clerk Stephanie VonBehren told the council the city will work with the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA), the DNR and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to assess the site and to apply for grant support.

ECIA representatives told the council Phase 1 of planning was finished and permission was given to begin Phase 2, which centers on asbestos abatement and supervised deconstruction. The city scheduled a site visit for June 29 and said it would pursue multiple grant sources, including possibly using American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds.

At the Nov. 18 meeting, representatives of Stanwood Economic Development (STEDCO) — Ed Andrews and Wendell Wanek — offered to provide $15,000 to $20,000 toward asbestos-abatement costs once the final bill is known. The clerk said the city would notify STEDCO after invoices arrive.

Council members authorized staff to obtain quotes from Terracon for oversight of removal and deconstruction and directed the clerk to continue grant applications. No final abatement contract or start date for deconstruction was recorded in the meetings reviewed; council actions authorized planning, site visits and solicitation of proposals.

The city framed the effort as a multi-agency project: the clerk cited coordination with SHPO for historic-review requirements and the DNR for brownfields funding rules. Council members repeatedly discussed reuse options — for example, salvaging brick for future city projects — but did not adopt a formal reuse policy during 2021.

Next procedural steps recorded in the minutes included soliciting bids for Terracon oversight, continuing applications for DNR brownfields match funding, and notifying STEDCO when final abatement costs are available.