Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Feb. 25, 2025 – A representative with the company managing the demolition of the old Citizens Bank building said it is expected to begin soon.
Adam Seiter, executive vice president of operations for Nabholz Construction, the project’s construction manager, told the City Council on Monday he expected demolition to start anywhere from March 7 to March 10.
Teardown cannot begin until the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) approves the method to be used. Seiter said the department received the demolition approval request and asked for some clerical changes. He said the application was resubmitted on Monday.
“Our first day of the actual demolition, we’re hoping by the latest it would be Friday, March the 7th. Maybe Saturday, March the 8th or Monday the 10th. We’re hoping we can pull that back with ADEQ,” Seiter said. “We’re obviously completely beholden to them, but we’re in contact with them several times a day just to review the process of everything.”
The City Council voted in January to approve the demolition of the building, planning for a wet demolition. This involves spraying the part of the building currently being demolished with water, preventing any asbestos-containing material from becoming airborne. It is projected to cost $3.25 million and take eight to 12 weeks.
He added that high-reach equipment is expected to be delivered Feb. 25 around noon, after which the site will be restructured to accommodate the size of the equipment. After that, crews will begin work to install protection for nearby buildings, especially those to the north of the site.
Parts of Main Street have been shut down since Sept. 25 when a bulge was noticed on the side of the old Citizens Bank building. Since then, there have been alternate traffic patterns downtown and a protection wall installed in front of First Horizon Bank.
The City Council met on Monday, due to its previously scheduled Feb. 18 meeting being rescheduled due to wintry weather.