Hartley council eyes old theater demo

With a little luck, downtown Hartley will have one less building later this year.

City Administrator Roxann Swanson on Monday updated the council on demolition plans for the former Capitol Theatre. She recently applied for a Derelict Building Grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which would ease the cost of removal expenses once the dust settles.

Swanson applied for $75,000, which is the maximum amount under the grant. Demolition been estimated at $100,000-$130,000.

"We could receive that or it could be less," Swanson told the council. "We should know within three months."

The city last year received a derelict building grant worth $25,000 for asbestos removal at the old theatre, which covered more than half of the bill. The award was good sign for future aid as Hartley in 2021 was rejected for funding through the program.

The city has owned the building since October of 2020 after acquiring it from Dwight and Darla Jacobs, of Spirit Lake. The arrangement ended months of legal wrangling, which began in 2019 after the council declared the dilapidated former theater a dangerous building on the advice of O'Brien County Environmental Health Specialist Jonathon Hintz.

With no options for restoration, the council decided a date with the wrecking ball was the city's only option. The theater was built in 1925 and has a deteriorated roof, extensive interior water damage and severe mold issues.

Crews removed asbestos and other hazardous material last summer.