Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney speaks at a press conference on the roof of the Lashkowitz High Rise Thursday. Senator John Hoeven and an EPA official announced a federal grant.
FARGO (KFGO) – Fargo’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority is the recipient of a $2 million federal grant to help with asbestos removal at the 22-story Lashkowitz High Rise downtown, a step necessary to clear the way for the building’s demolition later this year.
Chris Brungardt is the CEO of the housing authority. He said the remediation effort will take about 80 days, with the building is slated to be imploded in late September or early October.
“The Lashkowitz served our community so greatly over 50 years but it just became physically and functionally obsolete. The amount of asbestos, the failing infrastructure, the potable water and the sewer pipes…people just couldn’t live there any more,” Brungardt said.
The site will be redeveloped into another 110-unit affordable housing complex with room for 290 residents.
Affordable housing continues to be in short supply in Fargo. Brungardt said Fargo Housing currently has a waitlist of 1600 people who have applied for public housing and the average wait to get off the list is between one year and 18 months.
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