DISMANTLED ‘PIECE BY PIECE’
Taylor Field will come down slowly
Very soon, the most noteworthy collapse in Taylor Field history will not revolve around the late-game implosion of a football team.
Plans have been announced for a controlled collapse at the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ historic home.
Toward that end, the City of Regina held a stadium deconstruction public information session Wednesday at the Sportplex.
“There will be no explosions and no wrecking balls,” said Kyle Bouma, the senior project manager for Hamilton-based Budget Demolition. “It will be a conventional demolition with a high-reach excavator, primarily, and it’ll essentially be dismantled piece by piece.” Why not blow it up? “Explosions or implosions aren’t frequently done in demolition,” Bouma responded. “There would be a lot of disruption to the neighbouring communities, so that’s something we typically steer clear from.”
At one point in the process, the upper-deck on the west-side stands will be collapsed so that demolition of that portion of the stadium can occur at a manageable level. “It’s probably similar to a tree falling,” Bouma said. “It will be a slow descent of the building and it will basically lay down flat. There won’t be any large bangs or crashes.”
The public may have an opportunity to watch the collapse.
“We’re certainly looking at all options, because we recognize that in the absence of an implosion, people are looking for a little bit of excitement,” said Jill Hargrove, the City of Regina’s director of facility management services.
“I think the controlled collapse could provide both an interesting aspect for the residents and for the media as well. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be working closely with Budget Demolition, trying to determine scheduling and what possible events could be hosted for that.”
Budget Demolition has experience in this field, involving a field, because it handled the disassembly of Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton.
Hargrove said the Taylor Field project, which has just begun and is scheduled to last until April, will cost $2.01 million. She added that the city went through a public-procurement process, which included an “open invitation to bid,” and that Budget Demolition was the successful candidate.
When asked whether there were any bids from Saskatchewan, Hargrove responded: “As a matter of policy, the city only speaks to who the successful proponent was.”
Budget Demolition will have “a small crew that is coming from Hamilton that specializes in the demolition work,” according to Bouma, who noted that the company he represents will be working closely with local sub-contractors, suppliers and additional labour.
The demolition is to take place until December, after which cleanup, site grading and drainage work will be done. The City is to announce formal plans for redeveloping the site, which is to include low-income housing, some time in 2018.
As it stands, Budget Demolition is mobilizing on-site in preparation for the deconstruction — which is to begin in short order.