An agreement was finally reached on the placement of London Bridge and the presence of a lagoon.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Saturday, September 21, 1968:
‘The Bridge’ Finally Finds Havasu Home
PHOENIX (AP) — London Bridge appeared at last Friday to have found its place at Lake Havasu City as the State Parks Board announced an agreement with McCulloch Corp.
Parks Director Dennis McCarthy said the agreement is to allow the bridge to span a lagoon near the midpoint of a channel to be cut across Lake Havasu City peninsula. The lagoon will create an island.
McCarthy said it has not been determined whether the bridge will rest on state land or McCulloch property, but indications were that one end of the span will rest on park property.
McCarthy also reiterated the board’s previous denials of any secret agreement with McCulloch, commenting that many details remain to be worked out.
“The final agreements,” he said, “will provide for setbacks, buffer zones, landscaped areas and other parklike facilities.”
McCulloch bought the 134-year-old bridge last April for $2.4 million and is paying another $500,000 to have the bridge shipped to Lake Havasu City for settlement.
The Lord Mayor of London and other English dignitaries are to arrive Monday for the cornerstone ceremony. Until Friday, it appeared that the cornerstone laying would be only a gesture since the board and company could not agree on a site.
With details still to be worked out, it's almost a surprise the agreement was reached.
Almost a year later, however, there was still some sniping between McCulloch Properties and the Arizona Parks Board. The board probably had good reason to be irritated, but once they threatened to withdraw approval, the McCulloch side gave in.
From the Star, Wednesday August 13, 1969:
State Chastises McCulloch Over London Bridge
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Parks Board threatened Tuesday to withdraw permission to rebuild London Bridge along the Colorado River.
Board members said the famous bridge isn’t going up fast enough, and suggested that builder McCulloch Properties, Inc., has gained far more in publicity than it has spent on actual construction.
“I’m beginning to have doubts they’ll put up the London Bridge,” said board member Ricki Rarick. “They’ve used this thing to sell five or six million dollars worth of lots with a $50,000 engineering expenditure.”
McCulloch Properties purchased the bridge from the city of London last year and announced it would rebuild it, partially on state land, near Lake Havasu City, a McCulloch development. The proposed channel would separate from the mainland a peninsula which juts out into Lake Havasu.
Board members indicated that, if McCulloch does not cooperate in meeting construction deadlines, it may withdraw its permission for the project.
The bridge is being transported from London to the Colorado River community stone-by-stone. But the board said McCulloch has failed to provide it with engineering plans for sea walls at the entrance to a channel which will be crossed by the bridge. Plans are also needed detailing disposal plans for material dredged up when the channel is cut, Parks Director Dennis McCarthy said.
“The temper and patience of this board is running out,” added another board member.
The board issued a Sept. 15 deadline for submission of the plans.
From the Star, Thursday, August 14, 1969:
Havasu Firm Readies Plans For Bridge
LAKE HAVASU CITY (AP) — Engineering plans for a channel to be spanned by the rebuilt London Bridge will be submitted to the State Parks Board by Sept. 1, Charles T. Thompson, executive director of the town, said Wednesday.
The board, meeting in Phoenix Tuesday, threatened to withdraw its permission to reconstruct the bridge at this town on the Colorado River unless it received the plans by Sept. 15.
Ricki Rarick, a board member, said McCulloch Properties, builder of the town, had used the century-old bridge to sell $5 million worth of lots with a $50,000 engineering expenditure.
Thompson, vice president of McCulloch Properties, said about $1 million had been invested in the project to date and that the overall project is “right on schedule.”
Thompson noted that three years will be needed to transport the bridge to Lake Havasu City and reconstruct it over a channel which will be dredged between the mainland and a peninsula.
Then, of course, a construction company needed to be hired. A Tucson company won the contract.
From the Star, Wednesday, November 12, 1969:
Tucson Firm Will Rebuild Old Bridge
LAKE HAVASU CITY — M. M. Sundt Construction Co. of Tucson has been awarded the first construction contract for rebuilding historic London Bridge at Lake Havasu City. Preliminary excavation of the bridge site has been completed and the project has been turned over to Sundt.
Ted Jones, Tucson, vice-president and assistant manager of Sundt’s heavy equipment engineering department, has advised the McCulloch company, developer of Lake Havasu City, that the next two weeks will be taken up with additional excavation and core testing.
In addition to erecting the structural core for the bridge, which McCulloch bought when London decided to tear it down, and which has brought wide attention to Lake Havasu City, Sunday also is handling work on a $1.5 million contract grading the final two sections of the 22-mile scenic highway which will connect Lake Havasu City with U.S. Highway 60-70 on the south.
Lake Havasu City is on the Colorado River. The city has grown to nearly 6,000 permanent residents and also is a resort and vacation area.
Next: All about planned cities.
