A new company has been selected to clean up the mess left by Crusader Demolition, which walked off the job in March.

The pile of rubble has been an eyesore in front of the new performing arts center for about six months.

Crusader Demolition pledged to complete the job in a few weeks but eventually admitted it didn't have the funding to finish the work.

The original deal required that the awarded company have experience demolishing at least a three-story building. Another company warned the city that Crusader hadn't done it before, but the city gave it the bid anyway.

Despite the ordeal with Crusader, Commissioner Regina Hill defended the process.

The lowest bidder won; we thought they were capable. (We) never would have chosen them if we didn't think that, and in hindsight, I think we would have done it the same way," Hill said.

The city has finalizing a contract with the new company, Pece of Mind Environmental. It says it can clean up the mess and finish landscaping by the end of August.