Friday, May 17, 2024
After years of attempts to have the former Rotunda Nursing Home demolished, action is finally being taken to remove the hazardous structure.
Demolition of the former nursing home, the Rotunda, began last week after the area was secured by fencing. According to Gatesville City Manager Scott Albert, there have been six or seven attempts to secure grant funding to complete the demolition of the Rotunda before the city was finally awarded an EPA grant.
Diana Cross, the contractor with RNDI Companies, said that every effort is being made to secure the safety of nearby residents during the demolition and cleanup.
Cross said the emphasis is on removing the danger to the public that the building presents. The scope of work for RNDI does not include the removal of the concrete slab.
According to Cross, the crew first began with the removal of overgrown vegetation from around the building before demolition began due to the extreme number of bees, creatures, and all types of rodents hiding in the overgrown vegetation.
During a June town hall meeting, one resident in the area was concerned about the dust that would be created during the demolition. Cross explained that would be handled with water – constant misting that would help deter the dust from drifting.
“There will be dust – we can’t do anything about that,” Cross said. “Whenever anything comes down there is dust. We have to control it with water, so it won’t go very far.”
At the June meeting, Albert was quoted as saying, “I’m excited. I know a lot of people want to see this building taken down and it’s going to be down.”
Once the site has been cleared, it would be considered as a possible location for a new Gatesville Police Department building.
