By SCOTT SMITH
The limestone facing was already off the old No. 4 fire station on the city’s west side Monday, after Kokomo developer Scott Pitcher’s work crews did a little weekend demolition.
That work was the first — and only pro bono — portion of an 11th hour project expected to cost city taxpayers $70,000.
Bowyer Excavating, Peru, came in as the lowest of five bidders on work to demolish three buildings on the northwest corner of Sycamore Street and Dixon Road, and has already started work, city director of operations Randy Morris said Monday.
The work is being performed at taxpayer expense, due to a contract former Mayor Matt McKillip signed 10 days before leaving office.
In that contract, McKillip agreed to amend the city’s original contract with Peacock Dixon LLC, Indianapolis, taking on the task of demolishing the buildings to pay for cost overruns Peacock officials are claiming on a new fire station on West Sycamore Street.
For more than 18 months before leaving office, McKillip insisted the only cost for the new fire station would be giving up the old No. 4 station property at Sycamore and Dixon.
Peacock wants the former station property as the site of a new Walgreens drug store, but to make way for Walgreens, the Subway and Wendy’s restaurants north of the fire station on Dixon had to be torn down and moved further north.
Officials with Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight’s administration said they found out about the contract from Peacock in January, and said it appears to be legally binding.
In the notice, Peacock informed the city — per the McKillip-signed contract — it had 20 days to begin demolition work on the three buildings.
Former Kokomo Fire Chief Dave Duncan, now a captain with the department, said McKillip felt it reasonable to continue referring to the Peacock deal as giving the city a “free” fire station because he believed city workers could do the demolition work during a mid-winter lull.
Morris said Monday he was worried demolition bids would come in high — perhaps more than $100,000 — but said the number of bids received and the bid prices made the decision to use a contractor easy.
“Bowyer’s bid was more reasonable for the city than all of the hours we figured we’d need to pay city workers, the wear and tear on city equipment, tipping fees and everything else,” Morris said.
Morris said demolition work will begin today on the Subway, and said Bowyer is expected to get the three buildings demolished and the building sites ready “as soon as possible without any breaks.”
“I’m glad that the confusion of all this is moving behind us,” Morris said.
Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com
