Deconstruction Management Blog

(reposted from Cleveland Plain Dealer article, 7/10/10 by Kaye Spector)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The four-story, 44,000-square-foot retreat house on the former St. Joseph Christian Life Center property soon will be no more. But parts of it will live on.

"Deconstruction" of the building, now owned by its neighbor Hospice of the Western Reserve, begins today. Building materials from the 1927 structure will be reused, resold or recycled.

Some of the reused materials will stay right on the 12-acre property, which the hospice purchased last year from the Cleveland Catholic Diocese.

More than 10,000 cubic feet of brick will be salvaged, with some of it to be crushed for use as a base for path pavers or use in the hospice gardens along the lake, said David Simpson, the hospice’s chief executive.

Other bricks will be saved for fundraising — sold to people who share a history with the property, he said.

"I’d like to make a connection to some of those people," Simpson said. "A lot of those people are sad to see the building go down. They wouldn’t if they knew the condition of the buildings."

Marble bathroom dividers, vanity mirrors, wrought-iron doors and rails, lighting fixtures and wood casings all will get a second life through the deconstruction.

The nonprofit agency decided to tear down the building after a study showed it would cost $11 million to renovate it.

The building had structural problems, a leaking roof, extensive water damage, black mold, asbestos, an antiquated electrical system and internal and external vandalism. It had been unoccupied since 2007, when the diocese closed the retreat.

Hospice officials met several times with neighbors to talk about the property’s future.

"The building was in deep trouble," Ward 11 Councilman Mike Polensek said. "We came to the conclusion that there was no other choice."

After the building is demolished, the site will become a green space that community members, patients from the neighboring Hospice House and their families can use for reflection and healing, Simpson said.

The hospice plans to expand its memorial Vista Walk and gardens to connect the two properties.

A carriage house and former priest house will remain; no plans have been made for these buildings.

Historical markers are planned to recognize the history of the property, which was used as a sanitarium, hospital, Catholic Youth Organization headquarters and orphanage before becoming the St. Joseph Christian Life Center.

Those who want to share their stories and photos about the site can do so on the hospice’s website, hospicewr.org/clc.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: kspector@plaind.com, 216-999-3904

Common practice in preparing a site for redevelopment usually entails demolition of any on-site buildings or structures to clear the way for reuse of the land. If plans don’t include restoration or rehabilitation of onsite structures, then deconstruction should be considered as the next step to address on-site structures before demolition.

Deconstruction can be an economically viable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional demolition.

The benefits of deconstruction include cost savings, job creation and environmental preservation.

Deconstruction may save as much as 30-50% when compared to traditional demolition costs. Labor costs for deconstruction are typically higher than for demolition. However, landfill disposal fees are lower because there is less tonnage that ends up in the landfill. Combined cost savings exist with avoided disposal costs and recovered material value. Because deconstruction is labor intensive, it can lead to the creation of jobs for the currently displaced workforce.

Deconstruction helps preserve natural resources by offsetting the need for virgin raw materials through the adaptive reuse of existing building materials.

Usually 70-80% of waste can be diverted from the landfill with a deconstruction project. Salvaged materials can be reused, sold for recycling/remanufacture or donated. Demolition activities generate a wide variety of debris including wood, concrete, steel, brick, and gypsum. Many of these materials (if not contaminated) can be reused or recycled. Deconstruction and selective demolition methods divert large amounts of materials from the waste stream thus conserving limited landfill space. If time does not allow for complete deconstruction, items such as doors, light fixtures, windows, cabinets, etc. can be readily salvaged or “cherry picked.”

The U.S. EPA supports and encourages the reuse of construction and demolition materials. A good deconstruction project requires good planning. Identify knowledgeable and experienced demolition and salvage contractors. Identify markets for recycling, companies/non-profits for reusing materials or donation of materials.

In keeping with the principles of brownfield redevelopment and the reuse of previously developed land, the deconstruction industry supports the re-incorporation of formerly used materials. Please consider whether deconstruction techniques can be used to prepare your site for renovation or construction.

Site Highlight

Green Redevelopment in Ligonier: Former Essex Wire site (Brownfields Bulletin – July/August 2008)

Local example of “green” deconstruction and building material recycling.

New York’s construction attorneys are watching the deconstruction of the unoccupied Deutsche Bank Building with piqued interest.  Heavily damaged in the 9/11 attacks, the building was supposed to come down by 2005.  The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the firm managing the deconstruction, is working with the contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, to maintain adequate levels of employee safety throughout the process and remain on schedule.

“The goal is to improve efficiency, but not at the sacrifice of safety. Sometimes easier said then done, but we’re all optimistic,” said New York construction accident lawyer David Perecman.

All throughout the deconstruction process, the LMDC retained the services of environmental consultants to conduct environmental testing of the building materials, possible toxic hazards, dust, and mold.

Upon completion, the vacant lot will be incorporated into the new World Trade Center development.

As an industry, the practice of deconstruction is new to many in the risk community such as attorneys, insurance brokers, surety professionals and underwriters.  Workers compensation and OSHA do not have documented safety manuals specifically for deconstruction and the insurance community does not have adequate actuarial data to effectively assess the risks to people and property and set adequate rates for deconstruction projects and contractors.

I am currently working with the state of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers Compensation (one of three monopolistic states for WC) and several insurance companies in drafting safety guidelines, educating underwriters as to the unique risks of deconstruction and providing research on successful deconstruction projects to date.

As most of us look back on 2009, we here at DMI (Deconstruction Management, Inc.) are excited for the opportunity to have a positive impact on the future of sustainable development in 2010.  Harnessing the energy from Mayor Frank Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Appreciative Inquiry Summit, DMI will look to expand the nature, scope and availability for building deconstruction projects throughout the region.

Although the majority of deconstruction initiatives to date deal with residential properties that may be vacant or abandoned, we look to expand the opportunities for responsible demolition into large scale commercial, industrial and municipal projects.  Any construction activity on an existing structure that generates waste is a candidate for deconstruction.

By utilizing our network, a building owner can endeavor to minimize their contribution to our local construction and demolition debris landfills.

The network continues to grow and we are optimistic about receiving the support of our regional policy makers that share our zero waste vision.

On Thursday, October 22nd, NAIOP’s Northern Ohio Chapter conducted a seminar entitled “Real Life Green Building; Learn How Going Green Can Save You Money” at Developers Diversified Realty’s recently completed building on Richmond Road in Beachwood. The well-organized event offered tours of the completed, four story space and a lively discussion with nationally-recognized panelists including: Thomas Bisacquino, President & CEO, NAIOP (Washington, DC), Michael Berning, PE, LEED-AP, Principal, Heapy Engineering (Cincinnati, OH), Holly Childs, Executive Driector, Green Building Alliance (Pittsburgh, PA) and Robert Reichenberger, Managing Director of Utility and REIT Programs, Sun Edison (Denver, CO).

Each panelist provided insight into their unique experiences within the green building marketplace. Mr. Bisacquino explained in no uncertain terms that green building is definitely here to stay. “This is no passing fad,” said the national President. “The longer it takes you to understand the terms, concepts and technologies associated with high performance building, the more likely you will be in building yourself into obsolescence.” NAIOP, now called the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, advocates on behalf of its members including developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate.

Mr. Reichenberger is the Sun Edison Managing Director of Utility Sales & of the REIT Landlord GreenRoof Solar program. As managing director, he is responsible for all of Sun Edison’s business activity, business relationships and offerings to REIT’s, landlords and utility customers. Sun Edison is preparing a major push into Ohio as state legislative efforts encouraging and mandating the use of energy from renewable sources will force coal-based utility providers to either invest in large scale solar/wind/biomass/geothermal generators or buy renewable energy from companies like Sun Edison. The new laws create the opportunity for Public-Private Arrangements or Power Purchase Agreements that open the doors for solar installers to generate revenue from different sources. In this arrangement, the solar installers will own and install a PV (photovoltaic) array on the roof of a building they do not own. They will lease the roof space from the owner at a fixed rate over the course of the contract. The solar company will sell power generated from the array to the building owner also at a fixed rate for the life of the contract. The solar company will also sell renewable energy certificates to the public utilities and take the renewable energy tax credit (equal to 30% of the array’s hard costs). Not a bad deal, right? DDR thinks so and back in January contracted with Sun Edison to begin the installation of solar on all of their rooftops for all of their properties. That’s over 200 shopping centers and over 30 million square feet. Not bad.

Mr. Berning has been involved in “green” building since before it was as cool as it is today. Heapy Engineering has been involved in over 125 LEED registered and certified projects. That’s more than have been registered in all of the state of Kentucky. Mr. Berning serves as the Director of Sustainable Design for Heapy and is directly involved in the training of the largest staff of LEED Accredited Professionals in the state of Ohio. As co-chair of the Dayton Regional Green Task Force, Mr. Berning’s experience with sustainable design projects in both the public and the private sectors will show, when properly planned and executed throughout the entire design and construction process, that every project can be environmentally responsible, energy efficient AND cost effective. Several of the firm’s recent accomplishments in both the public and private sector identified the actual, realized cost savings of certain design elements. For example, on-site storm water management resulted in the elimination of significant storm drain infrastrutcure, saving over $250,000 from the initial plan.

Ms. Childs represents Pittsburgh’s Green Building Alliance, an organization that began the same year as the US Green Building Council. Though still an affiliate and not an official chapter, the real estate and developement community in Pittsburgh and throughout western Pennsylvania has embraced high performance green building. Supported by a generous philanthropic community and an active membership, the Pittsburgh GBA conducts educational sessions on green building, hosts regional networking sessions, funds the development of innovative green building products, offers research services and technical support for green building projects and advocates for the economic benefits of green building. GBA championed Pittsburgh’s new city ordinance requiring all publicly (TIF) financed development to achieve LEED-Silver certification by the US Green Building Council.

Tom West, Senior VP with CRESCO Real Estate and board member of the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the USGBC moderated a lively Q&A session where audience members asked the panelists about the future of green building, perceived vs. actual costs, public policy initiatives and best practices within this emerging sector of the real estate development industry. The evening’s attendees were lively and optimistic for the future of their industry as Ohio takes a leadership role in the advancement of green and sustainable high performance building.

These are the slides from a presentation that I created addressing the importance, marketability and risks of green, sustainable, high performance building.  Please contact me directly to learn more at www.deconmanagement.com.

We are proud to announce the creation of Deconstruction Management, Inc.  We are a full service management firm working with property owners through all stages of building removal from property acquisition to deconstruction to recycling and architectural reclamation.  Stay tuned for more to come!