Wendy’s site cleanup likely soon

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By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)

Originally published 02:26 p.m., June 23, 2008
Updated 02:26 p.m., June 23, 2008

A contractor could be chosen this week to provide pollution clean-up at the site of Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers, 701 W. Sixth Ave.

Wendy’s restaurant was razed on Jan. 8 of this year in preparation for construction of a new building. Preliminary dirt work was underway when Sunset Equities, which owns the property, discovered that the ground had been contaminated, apparently from a filling station that had been operated on the property before Wendy’s built its first restaurant there.

Tod Eland, spokesman for Sunset Equities, had said in a story on March 1 that the company would apply for assistance from the Superfund established by Congress to help pay for cleaning up contaminated areas.

Eland said in an interview late Friday that progress has been made in beginning the clean-up process that will clear the way for construction to begin.

“We’re excited to hear that it’s moving forward,” Eland said.

Specialists in cleaning contaminated soil have offered bids on the project.

“The bids are all in and they’ve got 10 days to choose who the actual provider will be,” Eland said. “Then after that, we’ve got the blueprints in hand.”

Sunset had announced plans to remodel the previous building before deciding to demolish it and replace it with a new, somewhat larger building. Bad weather initially had delayed construction, prior to discovery of the contaminated soil. When that problem is resolved, construction will begin on a building expected to include the latest technology and design available for Wendy’s restaurants.

“Our part is all complete and the contractor is ready to go so we’re hopeful,” Eland said. “We should be rollin’ forward.”