The end of the line for the former civic yards buildings in Red Deer is drawing nearer.
Demolition of the five former city buildings will start this week as part of the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan.
Contractor crews have 120 days to take down the five structures one the site once they begin the project.
Riverlands project manger Wade Martens said crews are busy getting the equipment organized for the big job.
Martens said there won’t be much activity outside for the first couple weeks because crews will be inside the buildings doing abatement work dealing with the contaminated materials within the buildings.
Martens said the buildings will likely start coming down in stages during the third week in July.
The first two buildings on schedule are the old storage buildings and the old EL&P building.
“This work is a major step forward in the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan,” said Kim Fowler, director of Planning Services. “It truly is a launching point for us.”
The city says it will make every effort to preserve as many trees as possible during the demolition work, which includes setting up barriers around trees for protection.
The Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan is part of the Greater Downtown Action Plan to redevelop the Riverlands as a vibrant, mixed-use community consisting of medium to high density residential and commercial development.
The Taylor Drive Improvement project is underway that will improve the vehicle and pedestrian traffic between Riverlands, Railyards and Historic Downtown.
Residents are reminded to obey signage and stay a safe distance away from construction activities.