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[/media-credit]After months of delays due to the termination of the original contractor, the demolition of the University of Wisconsin’s Ogg Hall should see completion by mid-November.
The demolition was originally scheduled for completion by the end of March. But after a series of mishaps including a fire and a piece of the building falling on a worker’s car, Dore and Associates of Bay City, Mich., was terminated by the state’s Department of Administration in mid-March.
Miron Construction Co., Inc., which provides the university with utility work, was hired to take down the rest of the west tower. The Department of Administration had to go through the low-bid process again to contract for the demolition of the nearly fully intact east tower.
According to David Helbach, DOA administrator for the division of state facilities, the contract has gone to American Demolition of Elgin, Ill., and “things are now going smoothly.”
Despite Dore and Associates’ lawyer saying in May the company was preparing to take legal action, Helbach said they have not filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination against the DOA. Instead, they have filed a claim for expenses.
Helbach said the site should be even with street level by the third week in October and fully completed by Nov. 14.
American Demolition Project Manager Bill Beaman said he does not expect to have any problems meeting deadline on the project. He added every project has its unique issues, but there is nothing especially challenging about this job that would slow progress.
“It’s a very cookie-cutter process after a while — just go one floor at a time,” Beaman said. “Everything that is in my control is in control.”
Beaman said the project should be finished on time, barring any inclement weather like extremely high winds or “an inordinate amount of rain.”
Tri-North Builders, Inc. of Fitchburg will be responsible to restore the site once the demolition is finished.
According to Helbach, Tri-North has been waiting a long time to get started.
“They’ve been waiting. They’re ready to go,” Helbach said. “This was supposed to be done sometime in June.”
