City of Red Lodge Turns Personal Disaster into Public Benefit
City takes ownership of old Rocky Fork Inn while owner receives pre-flood value for property
By Denise Rivette
Last week the City of Red Lodge Mayor Dave Westwood signed the final escrow papers transferring ownership of the old Rocky Fork Inn that was damaged in the 2022 Flood to the City. In return, the seller of the property received the full pre-flood monetary value of the property, though nothing can fully compensate them for the loss of their beautiful and iconic home. When asked to comment on the transfer, Westwood replied, “The completion of the acquisition is an important first step. The next step is the site cleanup, which we hope to have completed this year. Prior to the site cleanup, and with the blessing of the previous owners, local charities such as DSVS and the Senior Center have been invited for a guided walk-through of the property to see if there is any personal property that can be repurposed through those organizations. Additionally, when reviewing the contractor proposals for the demolition, the City will also consider the plans of contractors to repurpose useful building materials from the site.”
The transfer was made possible through federal and state grants that covered the entire cost: 75% was covered by federal funds and 25% with state funds. No local funds were used to facilitate this deal. Also covered by the funding is the hazardous material abatement and demolition of the building and creek bank stabilization.
While Mayor Westwood was signing the papers on Thursday, Paydn Borland of Tetra Tech was showing contractors around the building so they can prepare their bids for the hazardous waste abatement. That process will consist of two phases. Phase one will be removing the easily accessible asbestos and the universal waste by the demolition contractor so they can then get to the secondary asbestos material. Phase two will be removal of the secondary asbestos material. Then the demolition of the building and bank restoration can occur. While the money is already available, no work will take place until the funding letter arrives from FEMA. That is expected before October 1.
There is much more than just hazardous waste to be removed from the property, as can be seen in the following photos.
After the City decides on the contractor(s), Tetra Tech will oversee the work during the demolition and bank stabilization.
At least one feature of the house is intended to be preserved: the weathervane. The plan is that it will become a feature of the long term redevelopment of the site. While the final plans for the project are yet to be determined, the weathervane is expected to be incorporated to commemorate the building and the flood that inflicted so much damage on this property and the community.
While the above-outlined process is playing out, the City will need to determine how it wants to use its new property. After the cleanup is complete, there will be public hearings to solicit citizen input on how they want to use the property. A park and/or parking are the main contenders at this time. The City will pursue a similar funding mechanism for the redevelopment as was used for the purchase and demolition. Grant programs are available that offer the same 75%/25% funding from the federal and state governments respectively. The City is proud of its work so far to move this project forward without the use of local funding and hopes to complete the project without expending local tax dollars.