Phase One of Fairgrounds revitalization project kicks off in Memphis.

The City of Memphis has announced a groundbreaking for a $175 million, four-phase revitalization project at the Mid-South Fairgrounds. The overall project is expected to take four years, according to a city release.

Robert Lipscomb, who has been involved with the Fairgrounds Reuse Committee since 2004, said this is the first phase of the project. “It’s demolition and cleaning up the old Libertyland site, which is all the council has approved,” he says. “It’s just a blight removal.”

The groundbreaking will mark phase one, which involves demolition of properties formerly used by the Mid-South Fair and planting of grass in the area. This $2 million phase is expected to be complete by April 2010.

Demolition of Rocky Mountain Toy Company to retain historic facade.

Though its walls will fall, the façade of one of downtown Bozeman’s oldest buildings is spared. For now. Partial demolition began on Tuesday, with the felling of the fire-damaged west wall. Owner Chris Pope said he’d agreed to remove the wall and its foundation so the Legion could start rebuilding its hall.

The 127-year-old East Main Street structure and former home of the Rocky Mountain Toy Company was rendered structurally unsound by the March 5 natural-gas explosion.

Read the full story here.

New video focusing on demolition of Mill River Park dam in Connecticut.

Caterpillar has published a new guide to demolition site safety.

Those forward-thinking and safety-conscious people at Caterpillar have unveiled a new site safety guide for the demolition industry.

Available for purchase through the Caterpillar dealer network or for free online viewing, the new guide covers a whole range of work-related factors including seat belts, attachment changes, personal protective equipment, and slips and trips.

You can find the guide by clicking here.

Demolition News tries its hand at modeling with new DemoBoys t-shirt.

In amongst the various bills, final demands and threatening letters received here at Demolition News Towers this morning was a package that had journeyed across the Atlantic to provide us with some Autumn cheer.

But rather than boring you with words, take a look at the following video:

In addition to the long sleeve t-shirt shown in the video, we also have a short sleeve one that we’d like to offer to the winner of a free prize draw. In order to enter, please use the comments area below to answer this simple question: In which US city is Demo Boys based?

Just one small word of warning – The t-shirt we are offering is a US medium which means it’s suitable tor someone with the build of a silverback gorilla – 9 stone weaklings need not apply.

Crusher spares supplier SCG is the latest to join our Business Directory.

We are delighted to welcome Hamilton and Warrington-based crusher spares and wear part specialist SCG Supplies Ltd as the latest company to be listed on the Demolition News Business Directory.

Please take a look at their informative website and be sure to check out their excellent series of “essential spares” series which gives a great insight into the most commonly used and often overlooked spares and wear parts for screens, trommels and crushers.

Turkish residents give new meaning to “a bee in your bonnet” in anti-demolition protest.

Residents clashed with police and other security forces on Tuesday during the demolition of some buildings constructed on watercourses in the Sancaktepe and Samandıra neighborhoods of İstanbul.

Sancaktepe residents blocked streets in their neighborhood with garbage containers early in the morning to prevent teams from demolishing their houses. Police, in response, tried to disperse the angry crowd with tear gas. When the residents started to throw Molotov cocktails and stones at police, police officers confronted them by firing warning shots into the air and using water cannons and pepper spray. Protestors also threw beehives at police.

Read the full story here.

Top down set to start in heart of Peterborough city centre.

A pair of mini excavator were lifted on to the Corn Exchange building in central Peterborough yesterday to begin the second stage of demolition work.

Onlookers watched as a crane lifted the units onto the structure to commence the initial top-down demolition work. Once that is complete, the remains of the six-storey building in Cowgate will be demolished by high reach excavator.

Peterborough City Council’s head of strategic planning Andrew Edwards said: “The location of the Corn Exchange makes it a technically challenging demolition in the heart of Peterborough.”

Read the full story here.

Demolition set to start on casket company smokestack in Oneida, New York.

Demolition work is set to start on the site of the old casket factory some time this week, according to Assistant City Engineer Mike Bowe.

The City of Oneida Common Council received two bids for the job and last week approved the low bid of $12,500 from United Contractors of Utica.

Neither bidder opted to bring it down with explosives.

The city put $99,000 in the 2009 budget in anticipation of the possible demolition after receiving legal authority by the common council to “abate dangerous conditions at the site.”

Read more here.

Bidding war and planning screw-ups leave Executive Inn still standing.

The Executive Inn in Owensboro isn’t coming down this week after all. Officials said a paperwork error is causing the delay. Planners are still trying to figure out what to put in the hotel’s place.

The mayor said there’s no rush on a final plan, and in the meantime, the property will be used as green space, and to host next years barbecue festival.

There is no word yet on when demolition will start.

Read more here.