Demolition began this week on the building that once housed the Shore Theater in downtown Grand Marais. The old movie theater has sat vacant for many years. The demolition is being done by Crawford Excavating. Rick Crawford said he anticipates being done with the project by next Friday.
Once the center of the city’s social life, the Shore Theater building has been vacant for many years. Recently, a piece of the building’s cement façade fell and startled passersby, leading citizens and the Grand Marais City Council to debate what should be done with the building. Apparently the building’s owner, Bruce Leng, heard the concerns and this spring, hired Crawford Excavating to demolish and remove the old theater building.
Contacted by phone at another project on Wednesday, May 18, Rick Crawford confirmed that his company was conducting the dismantling of the building. He was quick to assure the public that environmental assessment had been done and proper permits had been obtained from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
An environmental assessment by Arrowhead Testing of Duluth determined that there was asbestos covering on some pipes and some lead paint, which were properly abated.
Crawford said that the project includes “a lot of handwork.” His crew is being extremely careful to ensure their safety and that of people on the street below.
Crawford expects the demolition to be complete by Friday, May 27.
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