City still doing business with company wit ties to man under investigation.

The demolition of more than 3,000 dilapidated or abandoned homes each year in Detroit was heralded as the beginning of a rejuventation of the beleagured city; a fresh start; and a welcome fillip for the local demolition industry.

But for all mayor Dave Bing’s good intentions, the Detroit demolition programme is rapidly becoming a case study in how NOT to run city-wide renewal programmes. First of all, demolition work was halted just hours after it began over asbestos fears, only to be restarted again shortly thereafter. And now, just days after deputy mayor Bob Buckler said that the city was seeking to ramp up the speed of the programme, comes another set of news that is set to tarnish this well-intentioned demolition drive.

According to the Detroit News, the city is continuing to do business with Bobby Ferguson, a man who is already under investigation in a city corruption probe.

ncil last week approved a maintenance contract with Xcel Construction, a company with ties to Ferguson that was raided by the FBI and other federal officials in January 2009. Earlier this spring, a city department recommended another Ferguson company for a $1 million demolition contract, but it was rejected last month after a final check showed he owed back taxes.

Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said the Xcel contract snuck by him and he plans to move to reconsider the vote this week so he can vote no. The city shouldn’t give work to contractors under criminal investigation, Kenyatta says, and he is working on an amendment to the city’s ordinances that would ban the practice.

No charges have been filed against Ferguson. Calls to Ferguson Enterprises, Xcel and two Ferguson attorneys were not returned. A spokesman for Ferguson has said in the past the companies have followed the city’s bidding process correctly and have come in as the lowest responsible bidder.

Ferguson Enterprises was listed among 12 bidders who were awarded two-year demolition contracts, according to a “preliminary notice” sent to contractors May 5. But two days later, Ferguson Enterprises failed a revenue tax and income tax clearance, Dan Lijana, a spokesman for Mayor Dave Bing, wrote in an e-mail. It’s not clear how much he owes. “Ferguson Enterprises did not qualify based on the required clearance and no recommendation was made to council to approve the contract,” Lijana wrote. “Mayor Bing has made it clear that the pay-to-play culture of the past is over.”

Ferguson, whose companies do construction and demolition work, received at least $170 million in city contracts while Bing’s predecessor Kwame Kilpatrick was mayor.

Read the full story here.

$300,000 “error” forces low bidder to withdraw.

The firm awarded a contract to demolish the old Elkhart Foundry on Elkhart Avenue, Dore & Associates, withdrew its bid after the firm discovered a $300,000 error.

Elkhart city officials released a statement Thursday stating the city will not hold the firm to the contract. Instead, the contract will be awarded to the next lowest bidder, E.T. MacKenzie Co,

Dore’s bid was $524,937, compared to MacKenzie’s bid at $769,114.

Read more here.

Deputy mayor looking to speed up demolition process for city renewal.

Way back in February, we labeled Detroit as Demolition Central following mayor Dave Bing’s pledge to demolish in the region of 3,000 dilapidated and abandoned homes in the “Motor City” during the next 12 months.

This process faltered initially following some last-minute asbestos-related fears. However, these demolitions are now progressing well; in fact, Bing’s second-in-command Bob Buckler has now suggested that the city may raise the stakes.

“Why can’t we create a process,” Buckler asked in an interview this week, “that can do 5,000 houses, 6,000 houses or 10,000 houses in a year?”

“One important thing for a really good leader is to set high aspirations,” said Buckler, the former Detroit Edison president now in his second month on the job as Detroit’s COO. “So my question is, ‘Why can’t we demolish more? Why can’t we set a higher aspiration?’ ”

Such a statement will be music to the ears of Detroit’s demolition professionals.

Read more here.

UK contractor Erith Group takes part in top-rated TV programme.

Just over a week ago, we suggested that UK demolition professionals should make a point of watching the 27 June edition of the BBC’s top-rated TV series, Top Gear as it was to contain something of a demolition surprise.

Sadly, thanks to a combination of World Cup fever, unseasonably warm weather and a crate of beer, we then failed to heed our own advice and even forgot to hit the record button on our Sky+ set-top box. Thankfully, however, those boffins at the BBC have something called iPlayer that allows UK-resident laggards like ourselves to catch up on the stuff that they missed; and this edition of Top Gear is no exception.

Unfortunately, due to copyright protection and overseas distribution shenanigans, we can’t actually embed the video here. But, if you’re in the UK, just click here and hit the play button (the Erith section starts at around the 28 minute mark).

Our thanks to John Woodward and the team at DemolishDismantle for bringing this to our attention.

Brazilian explosive experts use simulation software to predict tomorrow’s blast.

For most Brazilians, this afternoon means just one thing: The 2010 World Cup clash between national team and tournament favourites Brazil and The Netherlands. But while his fellow countrymen will be settling down with a well-earned Caipirinha, explosive demolition expert Fabio Pinto will be running final checks on a contract that promises to be even more explosive than today’s football encounter.

Tomorrow sees the implosion of the 3,700 square metre, four-storey Presidio Helio Gomes structure, a contract that has already been rendered in full-colour simulated glory.

We will, of course, bring you video footage of the implosion after it has happened but, for now, here’s a glimpse of what is scheduled to happen tomorrow.

Demolition is moving into high gear on the former 3M campus in Minnesota.

Within the next couple of weeks, Rachel Contracting crews will begin to take down the largest building on the old 3M campus on the city’s East Side: an eight-storey office structure known as Building 42. Another structure, Building 2, will also be razed beginning in the next week or so, according to Monte Hilleman, vice president of redevelopment at the St. Paul Port Authority.

It’s the latest milestone in the effort to prepare the Port Authority-owned campus for the Beacon Bluff redevelopment, which is expected to attract 1,400 jobs to the struggling East Side.

“This is the biggest redevelopment we have done since Energy Park in the ‘70s,” Hilleman said. “We believe it is huge for the East Side. … It is kind of the hole in the donut we need to close in with businesses and job creation.”

Rachel Contracting, which was selected for the $3.1 million demolition contract this past spring, has already razed the Building 99 complex (which includes multiple buildings) and Building 41.

Read the full story here.

Waterfront Mall to fall under Wrecking Corp spell.

Wrecking Corporation of America has been awarded a contract for the demolition Waterfront Mall at 4th and M Streets in southwest DC. The project also includes excavation for a new structure for the site. The general contractor for the project is the Clark Construction Group LLC of Bethesda.

“This is the largest single building in the District to be razed,” says Terry Anderson, Wrecking Corp executive vice president, “and it’s part of the master plan for the renewal of the DC waterfront. The building is a massive concrete structure that has to be hand-separated from the buildings that are to remain. Wrecking Corp has razed hundreds of buildings in cramped urban areas, and is skilled in the dealing with the unique challenges such projects represent.”

Read more here.

Fijian Ministry of Works sets aside $1 million budget for dismantling of Rewa Bridge.

Fijian ministry spokesman Iliesa Sokia said following the tender process, the project would be carried out by United Kingdom company Roughton International.

“They have presented us with their preliminary report,” Mr Sokia said. “It explains the procedures for dismantling the bridge and the cost.”

He said once the company declares its cost, representatives would meet senior officers from their office and present a paper to the Major Tenders Board. Mr Sokia said the presentation would be evaluated by the board and once approved, funds would be released for the project.

Read more here.

Summer camp seeks to start them young with explosives engineer training.

On this side of the Atlantic, the question of where the next generation of blasters and explosives engineers will come from is a source of constant debate. In the US (or Missouri to be precise) they’re addressing the challenge with a summer camp to expose children to the career opportunities of the blasting sector.

For the fifth year, Missouri S&T is holding an explosives camp for students thinking of becoming a demolition engineer.

Many of the students are considering a career in this field, like Kirstin Bier who’s a high schooler from Columbia, MO. “The camp would be a really good way of seeing how they do their program and what it’s like and it’s been a lot of fun,” Bier said. “And you get to blow stuff up… That’s always fun!”

Along with blowing stuff up, the students get to learn the different types of charges, and techniques behind demolition.

Read more here or view the video below.

UK’s National Federation of Demolition Contractors’ launch major event.

Open you diary, flick through to 12 October 2010 and put a large red cross through the entire day as that has been officially designated NFDC Demolition day.

The Federation is taking its message to the industry with its first ever conference/seminar that is designed to illustrate why main contractors and other potential clients should choose NFDC members over other demolition companies. Among the organisations supporting this unique event is the Health & Safety Executive, WRAP and BRE. The event is also being co-sponsored by some of the leading names in the demolition equipment field including Kocurek, Rusch, Sandvik Mining and Construction and Trevi Benne.

To provide delegates, speakers and other stakeholders with up-to-the-minute information on this important event, the Federation has also set aside a special area of its website which can be viewed here.

The first ever National Federation of Demolition Contractors’ Demolition day event will take place on 12 October 2010 at the Britannia International Hotel, Marsh Wall, London Docklands, E14 9SJ. Tickets are priced at (£50 + VAT) per delegate and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To book your tickets, please call 01442 217144 or email info@demolition-nfdc.com NOW.

To show our support for this important national event, DemolitionNews.com has created a Facebook event listing so, if you’re a Facebook user and you’re planning to attend, please click here and let us know.