Demolition to Begin on 80-100 East Grand Avenue

A project to demolish the building at 80-100 East Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit will begin next week. A vibrant public riverwalk will be built in the area while future private redevelopment is planned for the site.

Initially, work will be completed on the interior of the building with no impacts to traffic at that time. A few parking stalls will be blocked off as the project starts.

Starting in late July or early August, the demolition will begin. During the first stage of demolition, the Grand Avenue bridge will remain open to traffic in each direction but parking will be closed on the bridge.

Work is weather dependent and subject to change. The building demolition and riverwalk construction is expected to be completed by summer 2025.

The planned public-private development involves the vacant structure that protrudes over the Rock River. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is requiring that the existing 11,380 square foot structure be removed by year 2042. There is extensive damage to the underwater structure.

The City was awarded a Municipal Flood Control Grant and a Stewardship Local Assistance Grant by the WDNR to assist with funding the project in support of removal of the structure from the Rock River. The project will decrease flood elevations upstream and promote outdoor recreation with the extension of the Rock River Trail/Downtown Riverwalk. The City of Beloit is funding $500,000 for the riverwalk extension; however, no city funds are being used to demolish the building. A local grant match is being provided by the developers of the property.

The City of Beloit will maintain ownership of the riverwalk area while the developer, East Grand Development LLC, a Hendricks company, intends to build a four-story, 48,000 square foot building that could include a restaurant, commercial uses, office, and/or residential use.