FORT PIERCE – The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency cleared the final environmental hurdle Sept. 15 in its planned purchase of the vacant parcel at 1238 Avenue D. Agency members, who also serve as city commissioners, hope to use the property as a pedestrian plaza and possibly overflow parking for the adjacent Highwaymen Museum.

In March, the FPRA Board authorized staff to execute a $150,000 purchase contract for the property and approved agreements for a Phase I environmental study and an asbestos study. Board Chairwoman Linda Hudson was authorized to enter into the agreements.

The asbestos study was prompted by concerns from Board Member Michael Broderick, whose firm buys and renovates older buildings and frequently encounters asbestos. Drawing on his experience, Broderick warned fellow board members about potential complications associated with older structures.

“I’m assuming we’re going to find asbestos,” he said on March 19. “I just think we need to know what the scope of that asbestos is. If we need to remove or encapsulate it, it becomes complicated; once it’s complicated, it becomes expensive. I think it would be good to find that out up-front.”

Staff subsequently hired Delray Beach-based GFA International, Inc, which does business as Universal Engineering Sciences, to conduct the Phase 1 study. The results of that study prompted a second environmental study by Orlando-based UES Professional Solutions, LLC, which has a local office in Port St. Lucie.

Community and Economic Development Director Shyanne Harnage provided the FPRA an update on that status of those studies during the latest meeting.

“This item is really just an update, [so] there’s no action required,” she said. You have previously approved the purchase and sale agreement. At the June meeting, we received the Phase 1 environmental. We discovered that there was some dry cleaning services and some fueling services taking place near the site, so they recommended the Phase 2. I’m happy to report that Phase 2 came back with no additional findings, and they did not require any additional testing.”

Harnage then addressed the closing on the property and condition of the small structure, which was unknown last March.

“I’m hopeful we can close this week, and we are ready to go,” she sad on Sept. 15. “The last thing we also discussed – we didn’t take a vote on it – was toward demolition of that structure. I don’t know if that’s still how you feel, or if you want to discuss that tonight. I can come back to you about further direction with regard to the demolition of that structure.”

Board Member Broderick, who had examined the structure since the March approval, didn’t hesitate to respond.

“I’ve walked the building,” he said. “There’s no salvageable value there – knock it down.”

“You had held out hope,” Chairwoman Hudson responded.

“If I can’t buy it cheap and remodel it, I knock it down,{ Broderick continued. “It’s a good value for the land. It’s crystal-clear that we need that location, but I saw no value in the structure itself for the City of Fort Pierce. We would be dumping truckloads of money into it to continue to maintain it.”

The chairwoman then looked to the rest of her colleagues.

“Anybody disagree with that?” she asked but getting no responses. “I think you have a consensus. Do you need anything else from us?”

“No, ma’am,” Harnage replied.

“You need to buy five sledge hammers and we’ll go out there and tear it down,” Board Member Broderick told her. “When’s the projected closing?”

“This week, the 17th,” Harnage responded. “We’re happy to move this along, so I’ll come back before you with the demolition agreement. The actual demolition has to work its way through the city approval process. The funding of that will come back before you as the FPRA Board.”

Board Member Broderick reminded her, however, that there would be one other review of the proposed demolition.

“It’s in an historic district, so it’s going to have to go before the Historic Preservation [Board], but the building’s a non-historic structure,” he said.

“We have already initiated that process,” Harnage answered. “We should be good.”