Beaver Dam Accepts Donation Of Fatal Apartment Fire Property

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Common Council on Monday unanimously approved a proposal to purchase the Executive Apartment property for one dollar. The parcel at 600 West Third Street was the site of a fatal fire in April and the shell of the structure has since been demolished. City officials indicated that the current owner of the property has no plans to rebuild and is considering the transaction a donation. Part of the agreement is that future property owners would need to maintain a memorial to the two people who lost their lives in the fire. City Finance Director John Somers says the property has $16-thousand dollars in outstanding 2018 taxes due and another $3700 owed to cover the costs of demolition that were not picked up by insurance. The city will waive those costs in exchange for the property donation. However, Somers notes that when the city sells the property to a developer, that developer would have to pay those costs back to the city. While city officials have not identified any developers in open session meetings, we reported last month that a lakefront property that connects both the apartment site and the former Lakeview Hospital was recently sold to a firm associated with WDS Construction of Beaver Dam. Owner Ben Westra did not comment on any possible connection following his September 5th purchase of the Powell property at 604 West Maple Street. It is too early to say of that property would be part of the newly proposed TIF #9.