Total Demolition, Stadium-Style

Stadiums for professional sports teams are hubs of entertainment for millions of people around the country, and many of us feel a deep nostalgia for our favorite teams’ stadiums. But, like most things, stadiums that were once shiny and new become old and antiquated, and it becomes necessary to replace them with new. Older stadiums lack the seating capacity, private party boxes, restaurants, concession stands, and restroom facilities to meet modern standards, not to mention Jumbotrons, large monitors, and lighting and sound systems. This means total demolition of the old stadium to make way for the new.

In many stadium construction projects, the new stadium is erected, oftentimes directly adjacent to the old stadium, before the old stadium is demolished so there is no interruption to the sports teams’ seasons. Then, everything of any sentimental value – seats, signs, pieces of the scoreboard, grass from the outfield – is recovered from the condemned stadium for sale to the highest bidders. Seats from Yankee Stadium can still be found on eBay for $450.

For some stadiums, such as Yankee Stadium and Giants Stadium, total demolition is performed by cutting, chopping and removal by multiple hydraulic excavators and other high-reach equipment. Other stadiums, including Texas Stadium and Seattle’s Kingdome, are reduced to rubble by controlled blast. Due to nostalgic value, stadium demolition is usually well-documented through time-lapse photography, news coverage, and of online videos. The implosion of Texas Stadium was a festive-yet-bittersweet public event preceded by fireworks and attended by 25,000 spectators. Once demolished stadiums have been replaced with parking lots for new stadiums, retail properties, open space, and theme parks.

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a  Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)  in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in four sites that received VPP OSHA Safety Awards). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities over $10 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.

R. Baker & Son
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
732-222-3553
http://www.rbaker.com

Calculating Interior Demolition Costs

Interior demolition: the nonstructural demolishing of spaces within a structure, usually in preparation for reuse or upgrading the space or area. This includes interior walls, ceilings, flooring, staircases, mezzanines, overhangs, etc., as well as the utilities contained within, such as electrical, plumbing, ductwork, gas lines, flues, etc.

There is no shortage of online calculators that provide estimated per-square-foot interior demolition costs. In theory, it seems practical, but results can be wildly inaccurate. Without the input of an expert interior demolition contractor like R. Baker & Son, unknown variables can put a project’s budget in jeopardy before the renovation work begins.

**Is there asbestos, lead paint or other environmental factors that need to be identified and addressed? The cost of remediation for these hazards can often exceed the cost of the interior demolition itself.
**Are there utilities that must be preserved or rerouted? Interior demolition often uncovers problems or code issues concealed by walls, floors and ceilings. Sometimes an area marked for interior demolition contains utilities that feed through to other tenants that cannot be disturbed such as fiber-optic lines, electrical controls etc.  Demolition of these utilities can shut down another tenant’s business for a period of time until the problem is found and repaired.
**What is the degree of difficulty to perform the demo, and what special equipment is needed to perform the work safely? Interior demolition project budgets should include the cost of a properly-insured, licensed contractor who has the experience, equipment, and safety training necessary for the project.

Demolition calculators, even those from a reputable source, can only provide a budgetary starting-point for an interior demolition project. With over eighty years in the demolition industry, R. Baker & Son has the knowledge and experience to properly estimate a project and leave contingency for the real unknowns.

R. Baker & Son - All Industrial Services
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
732-222-3553
http://www/rbaker.com