MUSCATINE, Iowa – Mulberry Avenue will be closed to traffic from East 4th Street to East 5th Street starting Wednesday (September 4) as the demolition of the building at 417 Mulberry Avenue resumes.
The demolition work began earlier this summer but was halted when the contractor, Valley Construction, discovered a shared wall between 417 Mulberry and the Flickinger Learning Center building at 413 Mulberry. A request for a supplemental purchase order for the project was approved at the August 1 Muscatine City Council meeting as the Council opted to approve $177,697 to build a new support wall at 413 Mulberry and allow the demolition of 417 Mulberry to continue.
Northbound traffic will be detoured west at East 3rd Street to Cedar Street, then right on Cedar Street, right onto East 5th Street, and back to Mulberry Avenue.
Southbound traffic will be detoured west on East 5th Street to Cedar Street, then left on to Cedar Street, left onto East 3rd Street, and back to Mulberry Avenue.
The street closure and detour will continue until the structure has been safely demolished and removed.
Drivers are urged to pay attention to traffic control signage and find alternate routes if possible.
Valley Construction was awarded the original $65,500 contract to demolish and remove the structure during the June 6 Muscatine City Council meeting. The structure has been vacant for more than two decades, and a 2023 inspection found the building to be dangerous and unsafe.