Olmsted County accepts bid for demolition of former Seneca building

At today’s Olmsted County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board voted to proceed with Rachel Contracting to handle the demolition of the Seneca Foods canning facility at 1217 3rd Avenue Southeast in Rochester, Minnesota.

Rachel Contracting provided the lowest responsive and responsible bid for the demolition, which by state statute, Olmsted County is required to accept.

The Seneca site is adjacent to Graham Park, a property Olmsted County plans to revitalize and transform into more of a regional destination. New and improved facilities, such as a multi-purpose expo center for which the county is seeking state funding to help build, will increase the park’s flexibility to accommodate a wide range of events and gatherings. 

The demolition of the Seneca facility will enable Olmsted County to move forward with those redevelopment plans. Once the building is demolished, the land will be restored to greenspace until a development opportunity is solidified. 

Olmsted County would like demolition to be completed by July 1, 2021; however, a detailed demolition schedule will not be available for a few weeks. More details will emerge once Olmsted County has its pre-construction meeting with Rachel Contracting.