Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Workers from Greg's Towing in Ironwood, and Greg Kuklinski, owner of Greg's Towing, salvage a section of the Traveler's Lodge motel in Bessemer on Wednesday morning. Kuklinski told the Daily Globe that he is not sure what he will do with the building, but will probably sell it. The motel is being demolished to make way for a Dollar General store, which is schedule to open late summer.
By CHARITY SMITH
Bessemer - Demolition of the Traveler's Lodge in Bessemer began Wednesday morning. The motel and its property was purchased late last year by Dollar General, which plans to build a store there on U.S. 2 on the east end of the city.
Workers with Angelo Luppino Construction started the demolition process early Wednesday morning, according to Paul Luppino of the company.
Luppino said they were taking trees down as part of clearing the site and plan to demolish the motel units beginning today.
On Wednesday, Greg Kuklinski, owner of Greg's Towing in Ironwood, moved away a house next to the motel that was used as an office.
Luppino said the demolition of the motel should take about a week.
Luppino said Kuklinski offered to salvage the small structure. That process took about two hours Wednesday, as two large tow trucks worked to lift and steer the structure, hoisting it using straps and chains into the air. The house was then placed on a flatbed truck.
That small section of the motel is the only part to be salvaged. The rest of the structure will be torn down within the week.
A Dollar General store is scheduled to be built on the property by the end of summer, according to city officials.
