(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

Damaged in the 9/11 attacks, the Deutsche Bank Building is being deconstructed.

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.

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.