This month, two iconic buildings in downtown Fargo will be demolished to make room for new apartment complexes. This will include the south strip mall and medicine shop pharmacy buildings being demolished to make way. Best way to find the Lexington Demolition Contractor.
The current building on Red River Bank is to be demolished to make way for a modern affordable housing project called Lashkowitz Riverfront, with 110 units featuring community rooms, rooftop patios, and laundry services.
Planning
Fargo will host an event to watch the implosion of a former high-rise building in downtown Fargo on Saturday morning. This structure had previously housed Duane’s House of Pizza, Great Wall Chinese Restaurant, and Sports Vape; demolition will use explosive charges to bring down this 22-story structure, with shipping containers and netting placed around its perimeter to capture debris before it causes damage elsewhere nearby. Demolition starts at 7 a.m.
At this historic event, thousands are expected to gather at the former Panhandle Savings and Loan Building located on Second Street South in downtown Fargo. Completed in 1929, this building served as both a post office and courthouse for federal agencies within North Dakota, as well as a railway depot for the Northern Pacific railway. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Herschel Lashkowitz was known as an advocate of affordable housing during his term as mayor and was instrumental in creating Section 8. Fargo Housing CEO Chris Brungardt says this new development meets many criteria, from providing commercial space on its main floor to residential amenities like community rooms and lounges to rooftop patios, exercise rooms, and free laundry services – it even comes complete with its own main floor commercial tenants!
Preparation
As part of the demolition process, hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead paint, and other contaminants must be safely removed from a building site before beginning demolition work. Workers wearing special protective equipment are necessary at this phase. Furthermore, all flammable material should be stored away, and workers need to be informed about how dangerous demolition processes are before beginning.
KVRR reported that hundreds of people gathered to witness the Lashkowitz High-Rise’s implosion – described by many as sounding similar to fireworks or thunderstorms – on Saturday morning in Fargo. It was indeed a magnificent site.
Over the coming weeks, more buildings in downtown Fargo will be demolished to make way for the $30 million Bloc Apartments development slated for completion by fall 2024. South Strip Mall and Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy will likely come down first.
Kilbourne Group continues construction on their RiverHouse apartments on 4th Ave. N, which will bear Herschel Lashkowitz’s name and feature 114 apartments – seen as critical pieces in developing Fargo’s downtown along the Red River. Meanwhile, the Black Building renovation will provide modern amenities while keeping its historical character.
Demolition
North Dakota is well known for its construction activity, but rarely do you witness buildings wholly torn down – but that was precisely what happened in Fargo on Saturday (September 16). Viral videos posted to TikTok showed the Lashkowitz High Rise being demolished using explosives built into it in 1970.
Demolition requires several stages to ensure an efficient process. The initial step should be preparing the site, including making sure any dust generated during demolition will be contained and any openings between nearby buildings are secured.
The next stage of any demolition project is its actual execution; here, heavy equipment comes into play to bring down structures. At this point, you will gain an appreciation of its scope.
South Plaza and former Medicine Shoppe pharmacy buildings in south Fargo are currently being demolished to make way for The Bloc apartments, an apartment development scheduled to open later this summer. Valley News Live flew a drone over the area on January 25 and could clearly see that work had already commenced; Valley News Live used their drone footage as proof. The project should conclude this summer.
Final Cleanup
On September 16, crews demolished Lashkowitz High Rise with little fanfare – live WDAY cameras recorded it all as it unfolded before our eyes.
Martin says the $4.8 million demolition was meticulously planned, using explosive charges on five levels to demolish it safely. All nearby buildings will secure their windows, doors, and air handling units before dust suppression devices are put into place to safeguard human health and safety during this process. In addition, they plan to set up a perimeter wall of shipping containers, three high and two wide, topped with thick netting to catch any flyaway bricks during demolition.
After the demolition is completed, they’ll clean up the site before setting aside some bricks for anyone wanting a piece of the building to take home with them. A tent will also be put up at the site with information about Herschel Lashkowitz, who served as mayor from 1954 to 1974 and served in the North Dakota Senate between 1975 and 1989. The high rise was named in his honor.
Construction on the Lashkowitz Riverfront affordable housing project should begin shortly, replacing an older high-rise that opened as public housing back in 1970. It bears its namesake’s name because he championed cheap housing causes during his time at city hall.
Read also: What Is Underwater Demolition?
