BUYOUT HOUSES COMING DOWN

By mid-afternoon Thursday, 11 houses purchased by the city as part of the flood buyout program were no more.

Since Wednesday, three track hoes owned by Nip Kelley Equipment Co. knocked down the 11 houses that sat in South Cape Girardeau.

In the next couple of days, eight dump trucks will collect the debris and transport it to Lemons Waste Systems in Jackson, said Frank Myers, general foreman for Kelley Equipment.

Another 21 houses that encompass the first phase of demolition are also slated to be destroyed in the next 45 days.

And that's just the beginning.

The entire program involves the destruction of 63 structures that have been bought by the city to move residents from flood-prone areas along the Mississippi River, said Ken Eftink, program services coordinator for the city. Ten additional houses are also expected to be purchased and demolished, he said.

Three phases of demolition should be completed by September, Eftink said. All of the houses purchased should be torn down by then and the program should be completely finished.

Phase 1 includes all 11 of the bought-out structures that previously sat near the corner of South Sprigg and Lacruz streets and 21 additional houses in the Red Star area, Eftink said.

While Eftink originally had expected the city to buy 65 houses, he now expects about 10 more to be purchased.

"It's certainly a success," Eftink said. "We're dealing with people, and sometimes it takes people time to decide whether or not to sell their homes."

While track hoes and other equipment worked on that part of town, men worked at removing asbestos from the last house in the Red Star area Thursday.

MEAD Environmental Association, an environmental firm in Cape Girardeau, is overseeing the asbestos removal, which is being done by B&B Asbestos and Lead Removal based in De Soto.

The last home slated for asbestos removal is adjacent to what formerly was LeGrand's Transmission, 1237 N. Water. David Roth, chief operating officer for MEAD, said he hopes the last house will be asbestos-free by Monday or Tuesday in time for the demolition of those houses to begin early next week.

In November, inspections were done on the houses, samples were taken and analyzed, Roth said. A design for removal was written and a contract was put out for bidding.

Twenty of the 32 houses had asbestos, Roth said.

While houses can never be built on the bought-out property, the city could reuse the property for parks, natural areas, garden plots or wetland areas, Eftink said. The city has no immediate plans for reuse of the property, he said.

The total budget for the city's buyout program totals $2,240,585. Funds used by the city are provided by the Federal and State Emergency Management agencies, Eftink said.

Additional revenue was provided by the Community Development Block Grant of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The Salvation Army and Interfaith, a coalition of churches that pooled their funds, also helped some low-income families with their housing needs.

Kelley Equipment is being paid $62,400 to demolish all 32 houses in phase 1. B&B is being paid nearly $80,000 for asbestos removal.