Deconstruction project open house

A while back, we talked about deconstruction in the city, what it means and how it might happen. The city has chosen its first target: 945 Brentwood Avenue, in the Idora Neighborhood.

Because the success of the project is dependant on efficiency and time constraints, access to the site will be limited toTuesday, June 23, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM ONLY.

I have a meeting in the morning and won’t be able to make it to the event. If anyone can go and take pictures to share on the blog, I’d appreciate it. Here’s the rest of the media notice:

Monday, June 22, 2009

City of Youngstown Conducts Deconstruction Pilot Study

City Explores Green Demolition Process

Steve Novotny of the City of Youngstown’s Community Development Agency says “Blighted and abandoned structures are a huge financial burden for the community. It is about transforming this tremendous challenge into an opportunity.”

WHEN: The City of Youngstown invites members of the media to the first site of its Deconstruction Pilot Study. National expert David Bennink of RE-USE Consulting will be managing the deconstruction of 945 Brentwood Ave., located in the Idora Neighborhood on the city’s south side. Because the success of the project is dependant on efficiency and time constraints, access to the site will be limited to Tuesday, June 23, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM ONLY. Please be advised that the site is closed to the general public for the duration of the project.

WHAT: Deconstruction is the systematic disassembly of a structure to maximize reuse and recycling of the building materials that compose the structure. The process enables the salvage and reuse of valuable commodities used in building, such as lumber, brick, metal, and asphalt shingles.

WHY: The City of Youngstown has over 4,500 vacant structures that present a tremendous challenge for the community. Due to the large number of vacant and abandoned structures, the city is exploring innovative ways to transform this challenge into an opportunity. Deconstruction offers the possibility to create a self-sustaining blight removal mechanism.

WHO: David Bennink has over 16 years in the deconstruction industry and has facilitated the completion of over 450 deconstruction projects and 3,000 salvage projects throughout the United States. Bennink has been instrumental in bringing the process to many cities across the US, which has led to the development of organizations such as Buffalo ReUse (http://www.buffaloreuse.org/) and other non-profit organizations throughout the US. Bennink also manages his own consulting firm known as RE-USE Consulting (http://reuseconsulting.com/). He was recently named National Building Deconstructor of the Year by the Building Materials Reuse Association (http://www.bmra.org).

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