Demolition of the former Ramada Inn is on hold while an Elkhorn company removes asbestos from the site on Janesville's north side.
The former Ramada and an adjacent property that included the Oasis Restaurant and Motel and a gas station are being cleared for a 162,000-square-foot Menards home improvement center and about 400 parking spaces near the northwest intersection of Interstate 90/39 and Highway 26.
The asbestos was discovered in the Ramada building about a month ago, said Mark Davis, an asbestos inspector with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
A Janesville-based scrapping operation uncovered the asbestos while salvaging material from the site, Davis said. Once the DNR confirmed the finding, demolition work stopped.
Signs indicating the presence of asbestos are posted outside the former Ramada Inn on Janesville's north side. Demolition of the building has slowed due to the discovery. The land will be used as part of a redevelopment that will include a new Menards store.
Bill Olmsted/Gazette Staff
Typically, preliminary engineering site work must show that asbestos is not an issue before demolition can begin. Davis said he still is investigating to see whether the proper steps were taken prior to the hotel's demolition.
Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause serious health problems, according to the DNR. If ingested, it can cause cancer of the digestive system. Asbestos also may act as a skin irritant.
In the United States, asbestos became popular in the early 1900s, and its use peaked into the 1970s. While asbestos is not banned by legislation, it is not commonly used by American manufacturers anymore because of health concerns and liability issues.
The Ramada Inn opened in Janesville in 1971. Terry McGuire of BLM Land and Coldwell Banker Commercial McGuire Mears & Associates of Janesville is developing the project for Menards.
Elkhorn-based Balestrieri Environmental & Development was contracted about a month ago to remove the asbestos. Ken Balestrieri said the company will probably be on-site for another month.
The DNR's Davis said that once the asbestos is removed, demolition work can resume.
That puts the project at least three months behind schedule, said Gale Price, the city's manager of building and development services. Developers initially planned to complete the demolition work in January with the targeted opening of the new Menards in March 2008.
Price said he hasn't heard of an official delay in the opening of the new store, but the recent stoppage presents a hurdle.
Price said he will continue to work with the developers to find tenants for outlots at the new Menards site. He said he's uncertain about the future of the current Menards property on North Pontiac Drive.
