CDA approves contract to assess asbestos at arena

By Kevin Boneske

Staff Writer

ASHWAUNBEON – In anticipation of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena being torn down this year to make room for a new expo center at that site, the Ashwaubenon Community Development Authority has approved a contract to determine the existence and quantity of asbestos in the arena, Shopko Hall and former Hall of Fame building.

Of the bids the project manager, Miron Construction, obtained from three firms, which had total estimated bid prices within $75 of each other, the CDA awarded the contract to North Star Environmental Testing of Appleton for an estimated price of $24,325.

Village Manager Allison Swanson noted one firm, Eagle, had not handled a project that large in the past and was deemed not adequately qualified for the project with a short timeline.

Of the other two firms, Swanson said North Star would charge $100 per lead paint sample, if necessary, compared to $180 for EMC, Miron recommended North Star.

Swanson said North Star would have a professional services contract to find where asbestos may be located.

“They’re not actually removing the asbestos,” she said “Their job is to kind of figure it out. So it depends on how many places they need to take samples from.”

Swanson said the actual removal will be bid out separately after North Star assesses the amount of asbestos inside.

With demolition of the arena planned to begin in mid-April, she noted bids for asbestos abatement should be before the CDA in February.