The 53-year-old water tower just west of North Dakota Avenue has stood since John F. Kennedy was in office, but the old landmark has been empty for more than a decade and will be taken down beginning Aug. 11.

City officials said no water shut offs will be necessary to complete the project and North Dakota Avenue will remain open, although a single lane closure is “always possible.”

The Ames City Council approved the demolition in March 2014. The bid was won by Iseler Demolition, based in Romeo, Mich. City officials said crews will spend another week removing the foundation and restoring the site after the structure is removed.

“Iseler is handling the demolition and restoration, although I believe they have subcontracted the grass restoration to another company. The city of Ames will not be involved,” Ames Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda said.

Gwiasda said the contracted amount with Iseler is approximately $55,000. When the removal is complete the property will be seeded and maintained by the city of Ames. For the immediate future the property will be kept as a public green space.

“Discussions are underway on the best use of the space for the city. Nothing has been decided at this time other than to maintain the space,” Kris Evans, environmental engineer for the Ames Water and Pollution Control Department said.

Evans said there is no risk of contamination during the removal process.

“There are no environmental concerns. The contractor had the site reviewed; there is no asbestos or lead-based paint,” Evans said.

Evans also said Iseler has told city officials it intends to recycle the tower as scrap metal.

According to the release, residents can expect noise from crews working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cutting tools used to take down the tower may periodically cause loud noises. This is a normal safety feature of the tools to release pressure and does not indicate there are any hazardous conditions.