Removal of those toxic substances does not mean that the building, once set for demolition, will be knocked down anytime soon.

“We pressed pause on demo,” said City Manager David Fierke.

“The work being done now has to happen regardless,” he added. “The asbestos and lead has to be abated if we demolish it or redevelop it, so we’re going ahead with this phase of it.”

The Wahkonsa Annex sits at the corner of First Avenue South and 10th Street. It is right next to the Warden Plaza at 908 First Ave S. The Wahkonsa Annex appears to actually be part of the Warden Plaza, although the two are separate buildings.

- Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Metal fencing surrounds the South 10th Street side of the Wahkonsa Annex as workers prepare to remove asbestos and lead from the vacant building. City Manager David Fierke said those substances must be removed prior to either redeveloping the building or knocking it down.

An ambitious plan to redevelop the Warden Plaza called for demolishing the Wahkonsa Annex to create a parking garage with connections to other forms of transportation called an intermodal hub. A new cultural and recreation center was also envisioned in a proposal that would dramatically reshape about two blocks on the north side of First Avenue South. Those plans are now in limbo.

REW Services Corp., of Des Moines, will do the asbestos and lead removal. It has a $332,770 contract with the city for the work, which is expected to take 30 days.

Asbestos is a substance that was once commonly used to insulate buildings. Medical researchers have linked it to lung cancer and other lung diseases. In the Wahkonsa Annex, it has been found in the floor tiles, pipe insulation, electrical wire insulation and drywall compound.

The city government acquired the building in 2016 when it also obtained the Warden Plaza under the terms of the state’s abandoned buildings law. In December 2016, the Warden Plaza was transferred to KDG LLC, of Columbia, Missouri, which announced plans to create commercial space on the first two floors and about 100 apartments in the upper floors. So far, those plans have gone nowhere.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Fencing went up on the South 10th Street side of the Wahkonsa Annex as the first step toward removing asbestos and lead from the vacant building downtown.