Mason City Seeking EPA Grant to Abate Asbestos, Demolish Mohawk Square

MASON CITY — The City of Mason City is pursuing about $700,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cover asbestos abatement and help pay for the demolition of Mohawk Square.

The building, which once housed Mason City High School, has sat vacant since 2019. City officials say a May storm that year left a hole in the roof, exposing the structure to the elements and accelerating deterioration.

City Administrator Aaron Burnett said that if the grant is awarded and the city can complete the hazardous materials cleanup, he hopes the site could be ready for demolition within the next two years.

Burnett noted a potential hurdle remains in the courts. The property’s previous owners, the Anthony Lynn Allos Living Trust, are appealing a decision that transferred the site to the city after it was declared abandoned.

The city says it wants to remove the structure because it has remained exposed for the past seven years, leaving the interior heavily damaged and unsafe, with a foundation that has become destabilized.

Demolition is expected to cost around $1 million. Burnett said restoring the building in its current condition would cost roughly 10 times that amount.

If the site can be cleared, Burnett said the city hopes the property could eventually be redeveloped for community benefit, including the potential for multi-family housing.