Work at the former Kenosha Inn is finally back up and running after our workers discovered non-abated asbestos. The “hot” material has been properly abated allowing demolition to advance.
The façade removal at the Renaissance Shell continues to move along successfully – this is another project hampered by unknown asbestos discovered during the project. It is essential that demolition firms ensure that their work force is properly trained in asbestos awareness so as not to danger workers, the immediate public, and environment. While these situations are frustrating to owners, the best practices of any reliable company should have an established proactive “safety always” mentality.
Champion Environmental Services, Inc. is preparing to mobilize for a City of Monona project; a commercial property and residential structure will be demolished. The two structures have been properly abated of all environmental hazards and we are awaiting utility disconnects and final demolition permits to be issued.
The seasonal nature of our work is apparent for this time of year. Bid opportunities are starting to gain momentum. An encouraging note is the uptick in private work. We are sitting on over 2 million square feet of private bid prospects with optimistic words from the owners only to recognize the tiring mantra repeated over the last three years – “ check back in another 30 days. . .management is trying to determine the best course of action. . .any day now we should have the go ahead….” Ad nauseum.
Certainly, the key decision makers are tasking away at a strategy to maximize the allocation of every penny. Even when a project warrants the ability to be performed pro bono, clients’ synaptic nerves begin toying with the notion that they are sitting on a literal gold mine. The revelry reaches a hypnotic pulse when you actually have the ability to buy the job.
Lost in translation is the owners’ ability to recognize the special circumstances surrounding such rare opportunities in the current market. The fluctuation of key commodity pricing is a compelling area few understand – how well can one forecast where diesel prices will go? Steel, copper, and other precious metal pricing is often contingent on what we can promise to our buyer within an allotted time to maximize return. What we get for structured steel is not necessarily what another contractor would garner due to our long standing relationships. Timing is everything – an offer to perform demolition for free, given a variety of factors, can easily turn into a million dollar bill when a prospective client becomes gluttonous in the merriment of fictitious fortunes.
My good friend Mark Anthony over at Demolition News continues to record and report the nauseous bid spreads that continue to defile our industry in the US. Over the years, I have warned municipalities and private entities about “promises” that certain demolition contractors will make in order to win a job – for clarification, these were in general terms regarding specific projects, I never “called out” a company by name. With satisfaction, I relay news on a project we were in line to bid in Wilkes-Barre, PA on behalf of a developer. Following months of providing extensive due diligence information on our company and the assurance that our bid would be welcomed along with a short list of three other approved companies, I was told that a local firm negotiated to do the job for free.
I warned my contact about the “rip and run” mentality in these situations; rip and run is where a company guts a building of all the scrap metal and then leaves the site in ruin. Mark Anthony reported on this specific item last month titled, “Developer fined after contractor vanishes… Contractor leaves developer in lurch after stripping site of steel and copper”. A link to Mark’s entry with the story can be found here: http://www.demolitionnews.com/page/7/
I was unaware that there were many closeted fans of Immanuel Kant who take his theory of perception on a literal a priori proposition.
Showing posts with label Demolition News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Demolition News. Show all posts
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Monday, July 26, 2010
Update
While my presence has been absent from diligently updating this company blog our company has been engaged in variety of environmental and demolition projects making the summer months rather busy.
We are finalizing asbestos work at the following Illinois schools which include projects at:
Woodstock Schools - Olson Elem/Clay Academy
Macomb School District - 3 schools
Morton High School, Morton, IL
Brookwood School, Glenwood, IL
Batavia High School – Emergency Job
Grayslake Middle School, Grayslake, IL
NSSEO- North Suburban Special Ed, Mt Prospect, IL
Interior demolition work is winding down at Thornridge High School in Doltan, Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights, and Phase One of the Elgin Community College initiative.
In Wisconsin, asbestos abatement continues at the Wisconsin Avenue properties in preparation of demolition. Ongoing projects continue at Lapham Park, Marquette University, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Human Ecology.
A crew is mobilizing today in Pewaukee, Wisconsin to begin demolition of the former Lakeview Lanes bowling alley.
We are finalizing asbestos work at the following Illinois schools which include projects at:
Woodstock Schools - Olson Elem/Clay Academy
Macomb School District - 3 schools
Morton High School, Morton, IL
Brookwood School, Glenwood, IL
Batavia High School – Emergency Job
Grayslake Middle School, Grayslake, IL
NSSEO- North Suburban Special Ed, Mt Prospect, IL
Interior demolition work is winding down at Thornridge High School in Doltan, Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights, and Phase One of the Elgin Community College initiative.
In Wisconsin, asbestos abatement continues at the Wisconsin Avenue properties in preparation of demolition. Ongoing projects continue at Lapham Park, Marquette University, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Human Ecology.
A crew is mobilizing today in Pewaukee, Wisconsin to begin demolition of the former Lakeview Lanes bowling alley.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Misconception of What Demolition Wrought
All too often, opposition surrounds impending demolition projects. Resistance will manifest itself in many forms. There are those who argue against demolition projects citing environmental factors. Others contend the historical significance of a building outweighs the “wanton destruction”. The spectrum of contention is rather exhaustive.
A polemical position against demolition practices has only three avenues of appeal: logical, ethical, and emotional. The emotional outlet (by far, the most employed) makes for great newsworthy headlines, spirited municipal meetings, and can help marshal quick support – often, a thoughtless process with regard to the totality of the project at hand.
When logic is applied to such scenarios, people begin to realize that demolition marks a new horizon of opportunity and economic growth. Such is the case at the Shoppes at Fox River in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
In partnership with Opus North, Champion Environmental Services, Inc. was retained to abatement and demolish a 561,000 square foot distribution center at 1200 W. Sunset Drive. This morning on GlobeSt.com, an article was published highlighting the new development of the 58 acre suburban infill location.
The Shoppes at Fox River is the embodiment of what demolition creates, progress.
The article from GlobeSt.com appears below with link: http://www.globest.com/news/1505_1505/chicago/181278-1.html
___________________________________________________
Opus North Opens $62M Shoppes at Fox River
By Cari Brokamp
WAUKESHA, WI-Opus North Corp., of Chicago, has opened the first phase of its $62 million The Shoppes at Fox River retail development at 1200 W. Sunset Dr. The first phase of 250,000 square feet opened at about 90% leased, with a second phase of construction planned to begin in spring and deliver another 250,000 square feet of space by summer 2011. Two of the development's anchor tenants, a 132,000-square-foot Target and a 60,000-square-foot Pick 'n Save grocery store, have already opened, and another eight stores are scheduled to open later this fall.
"It's a great first-tier suburban infill location," John Meyers, VP of retail development for Opus, tells GlobeSt.com. "Waukesha is a great suburban community, and this is a portion of town that didn't have a retail shopping area and we're able to take advantage of that. For retailers, from a strategic standpoint with where their other stores were located, this was a great infill location for them without a lot of retail immediately around it, so there was a market void and they were available to take advantage of it."
Other retailers scheduled to open within phase one this fall include a 14,000-square-foot CVS Pharamacy on a 1.9-acre outlot, a 5,000-square-foot Chili's restaurant on a 1.3-acre outlot, Buffalo Wild Wings, Subway, GNC, Verizon, GameStop and Noodles & Company. Openings scheduled for spring include a 13,500-square-foot PETCO, as well as a Maurice's and Famous Footwear. Asking lease rates at the development range from $13 to $35 per square foot net, depending on location.
There's very few uncommitted spaces at this point and in today's marketplace, that's phenomenal," Meyers says. "The site itself was well-positioned and had some momentum going in, so we focused on the first phase of the development, which was still feasible to do. Even in a difficult time, we continued to get national tenants and hang onto that momentum as long as we held onto the boundaries of what the market could support."
Work on the 54-acre property began in summer 2008, after Opus acquired it for more than $11 million, demolished the 561,000-square-foot distribution center once located there and changed the land's zoning. About 18 acres remain available remain available for development and Meyers said Opus is considered build-to-suit opportunities or selling pad sites for retailers interested in locating within the development. Michael Fitzgerald and Dan Rosenfeld of Mid-America Real Estate-Wisconsin are marketing space within the development.
When completed, Opus says the retail development will be the largest in Waukesha and the sixth largest in the Milwaukee area. Designed by Minneapolis-based KKE Architects, the project is located in the southwest suburban Milwaukee submarket. "The Waukesha marketplace has remained very viable and held up very well there," Meyers says.
A polemical position against demolition practices has only three avenues of appeal: logical, ethical, and emotional. The emotional outlet (by far, the most employed) makes for great newsworthy headlines, spirited municipal meetings, and can help marshal quick support – often, a thoughtless process with regard to the totality of the project at hand.
When logic is applied to such scenarios, people begin to realize that demolition marks a new horizon of opportunity and economic growth. Such is the case at the Shoppes at Fox River in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
In partnership with Opus North, Champion Environmental Services, Inc. was retained to abatement and demolish a 561,000 square foot distribution center at 1200 W. Sunset Drive. This morning on GlobeSt.com, an article was published highlighting the new development of the 58 acre suburban infill location.
The Shoppes at Fox River is the embodiment of what demolition creates, progress.
The article from GlobeSt.com appears below with link: http://www.globest.com/news/1505_1505/chicago/181278-1.html
___________________________________________________
Opus North Opens $62M Shoppes at Fox River
By Cari Brokamp
WAUKESHA, WI-Opus North Corp., of Chicago, has opened the first phase of its $62 million The Shoppes at Fox River retail development at 1200 W. Sunset Dr. The first phase of 250,000 square feet opened at about 90% leased, with a second phase of construction planned to begin in spring and deliver another 250,000 square feet of space by summer 2011. Two of the development's anchor tenants, a 132,000-square-foot Target and a 60,000-square-foot Pick 'n Save grocery store, have already opened, and another eight stores are scheduled to open later this fall.
"It's a great first-tier suburban infill location," John Meyers, VP of retail development for Opus, tells GlobeSt.com. "Waukesha is a great suburban community, and this is a portion of town that didn't have a retail shopping area and we're able to take advantage of that. For retailers, from a strategic standpoint with where their other stores were located, this was a great infill location for them without a lot of retail immediately around it, so there was a market void and they were available to take advantage of it."
Other retailers scheduled to open within phase one this fall include a 14,000-square-foot CVS Pharamacy on a 1.9-acre outlot, a 5,000-square-foot Chili's restaurant on a 1.3-acre outlot, Buffalo Wild Wings, Subway, GNC, Verizon, GameStop and Noodles & Company. Openings scheduled for spring include a 13,500-square-foot PETCO, as well as a Maurice's and Famous Footwear. Asking lease rates at the development range from $13 to $35 per square foot net, depending on location.
There's very few uncommitted spaces at this point and in today's marketplace, that's phenomenal," Meyers says. "The site itself was well-positioned and had some momentum going in, so we focused on the first phase of the development, which was still feasible to do. Even in a difficult time, we continued to get national tenants and hang onto that momentum as long as we held onto the boundaries of what the market could support."
Work on the 54-acre property began in summer 2008, after Opus acquired it for more than $11 million, demolished the 561,000-square-foot distribution center once located there and changed the land's zoning. About 18 acres remain available remain available for development and Meyers said Opus is considered build-to-suit opportunities or selling pad sites for retailers interested in locating within the development. Michael Fitzgerald and Dan Rosenfeld of Mid-America Real Estate-Wisconsin are marketing space within the development.
When completed, Opus says the retail development will be the largest in Waukesha and the sixth largest in the Milwaukee area. Designed by Minneapolis-based KKE Architects, the project is located in the southwest suburban Milwaukee submarket. "The Waukesha marketplace has remained very viable and held up very well there," Meyers says.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Demolitionnews.com A Fine Resource For Industry Updates
I encourage you to visit a fine demolition news site facilitated by Mark Anthony of Epsom, England. The link to the page is at www.demolitionnews.com.
The focus of Demolition News is to “ . . .bring demolition contractors, visitors, readers and subscribers the very latest in demolition developments from across Europe and the world. Although we work in close conjunction with many of the demolition trade bodies across the world, we have no specific affiliation with any of them, meaning we can deliver up-to-the-minute industry news, views, videos and comment, regardless of a company’s membership status”.
The postings are informative and enjoy solid commentary from those who visit the site.
The focus of Demolition News is to “ . . .bring demolition contractors, visitors, readers and subscribers the very latest in demolition developments from across Europe and the world. Although we work in close conjunction with many of the demolition trade bodies across the world, we have no specific affiliation with any of them, meaning we can deliver up-to-the-minute industry news, views, videos and comment, regardless of a company’s membership status”.
The postings are informative and enjoy solid commentary from those who visit the site.
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