If haven’t driven through downtown Grand Junction lately, there have been some notable changes.

City Council Member Pierre Kellogg says this past Friday, the City’s volunteer fire department did a controlled burn where they burned four buildings east of the community center on Main Street. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio the Council began the process by acquiring the properties with the end goal of tearing them down. Kellogg notes the buildings had become a danger to the community, even where one building had no roof or bottom floor.

Before the burn could take place, Kellogg says asbestos had to be removed out of two of the buildings and the project had to be approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Kellogg points out, burning the buildings was the cheaper option for demolishing them. The City’s total investment in the project is about $1,800. Kellogg adds that the controlled burn was an invaluable training experience for the City’s fire department as well.

Kellogg says future plans for the space includes an expanded parking lot for the community center and the local Horizons Club may build a multiple storefront building that could be rented out for future businesses.