FARGO (KFGO) – The implosion and demolition of the Lashkowitz High Rise in downtown Fargo has been delayed by one week.
The apartment building, which has been an iconic part of the city’s skyline for over 50 years, was slated to be imploded Sept. 9, but some minor logistical challenges with permitting and coordination with all of the parties in the vicinity of the high rise prompted the contractor to move it back a week.
J.J. Martin is a project manager from Target Contractors, a South Carolina company overseeing the demolition. He said the process has been smooth, and that the brief delay is not unexpected, given the complexity and location of the project.
“Anytime you’re working in a municipality, especially in a downtown area like this, you have to make sure that everyone’s comfortable and fully understands the operation before you proceed forward, just to address all concerns,” Martin said. “A lot of times you’ll have implosions of farm equipment, some type of silo or antenna, in the middle of a field and the coordination for those is limited. But when you have something like this, there’s a whole other level to it.”
(photo: Tasha Carvell)
Martin said the project required several permits, including an emergency settlement, pyrotechnics for the implosion, and a demolition permit. He said making sure all the boxes are checked is important. He praised the Fargo Housing Authority and the City of Fargo, as well as nearby property managers and stakeholders, like the YMCA and Wells Fargo, for their cooperation.
“It took a little bit of time to get through all that, but we were successful in doing so and, as of this morning, the city issued the temporary order to vacate. So, that’s fantastic,” Martin said.
Martin said the evacuation order will apply to the apartment building just northeast of the high rise as well as the YMCA. The perimeter around the site on the day of the implosion will extend to just beyond the skate park to the south, the traffic circle to the east, the YMCA and Wells Fargo to the west, and Main Avenue to the north.
The first residents moved into the 248-apartment unit building in 1971, but issues like bad pipes made the demolition and rebuild necessary, and the last residents were moved out of the building last year.
“We couldn’t have reliable potable water and the sewage systems were continuously cracking, bailing on many different floors throughout the years,” Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority’s Chris Brungardt said.
Target Contractors has been on site removing asbestos and other waste materials from the building over the last several months.
City leaders are hoping to begin building a new facility at the site in the first half of 2024.
Despite the one-week delay, the time of day has not changed for the implosion, which will now take place on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:00 a.m.
Martin said additional details about road closures and evacuation orders will be released closer to the new date.
