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Minocqua Awards Bid for House Removal, Will Be Used for Practice Burn Saturday

DEAN S. ACHESON PHOTO

Sometime next year shoppers in downtown Minocqua will have a bit more public parking following town board action Wednesday.

The board approved the $8,455 bid by Minocqua Grading to remove the remains of a house that the fire department will use as a limited practice burn this Saturday.

Other bidders were Custom Caretaking and Landscaping, $16,000, and Schrom’s Excavating, $13,300.

Last year, the town purchased the one-story house at 408 E. Chicago Avenue for $150,000 with the intent to expand the nearby parking lot. Downtown parking is at a premium during summer weekends and special events such as Beef-A-Rama.

The fire department has invited other departments to use the house as a training exercise, setting fires inside, which will then be put out by various teams.

Town chairman Mark Hartzheim said the department would not let the house become fully engulfed, in consideration of northbound traffic and nearby homes and businesses. As such, they won’t have to close down that portion of U.S. Highway 51, but will close down East Chicago Avenue.

Minocqua Grading has until Dec. 18 to remove what remains of the structure, including foundation and the nearby concrete garage slab and also to backfill the hole.

The town has yet to set a timetable to blacktop the 75-by-125 foot lot. Public works director Pete Pertile last year estimated blacktopping would cost about $16,000.

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