Coming down: Old Schoolhouse in South Slocan to be demolished
The old schoolhouse in South Slocan is slated for demolition after the contract was awarded recently to take the building down.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay board of directors approved the demolition project — awarded to Hydraclean Disaster Restoration Services Ltd. for $119,250 — on Nov. 16 “as determined by the project team through the evaluation of proposals and negotiations with the successful proponent.”
Project manager Patrick Thrift said in a report to the board that the RDCK issued a request for quote for demolition of the South Slocan Old Schoolhouse building on Aug 10.
“The scope of work included the supply of all labour, equipment, and materials required to demolish and dispose of the building superstructure, leaving the existing concrete foundation and site services intact for future re- development plans,” noted Thrift in his report. “The demolition contract includes the appropriate abatement and disposal of all hazardous materials as identified in the pre-demo hazardous materials assessment.”
There were eight formal responses submitted by the bid closing date of Oct. 31, 2023 with the average bid price at $258,000.
He said the decision to demolish the schoolhouse was not an easy one.
“Recognizing the community value in terms of the building’s heritage and potential for re-purposing of materials, the RDCK has provided salvaging opportunities for community members to safely remove various materials and components,” he said in his report. “The RDCK will encourage dialogue between the community and the successful proponent regarding the potential for selective demolition of components such as timber roof framing provided such work will not have an impact on the demolition budget.”
The demolition will reduce the risk of costly repairs due to the advanced deterioration of the building due to weather and vandalism, as well as unauthorized access.
Thrift recommended that the project be fully funded from the Growing Communities Fund allocation, noting that the form of contract is the standard goods and services contract template.
All existing hazardous materials have been identified and will be removed and disposed of at appropriate hazardous materials waste facilities prior to the mechanical demolition of the building superstructure, he stated.
All construction waste and debris will be segregated and disposed of at local landfill facilities in accordance with RDCK Construction Waste Disposal Guidelines.
The demolition of the building reduces the community’s and District’s financial risk of costly immediate repairs associated with protecting the building from falling into further disrepair or issues concerned with unauthorized access and/or vandalism.
