District 3 Commissioner Lumon May will host a town hall meeting Wednesday, Nov. 14 on the demolition of the old Escambia County Central Booking & Detention Facility, providing an opportunity for the community to give input and ask questions about the project. The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m at the Boys & Girls Club/Englewood Community Center, 2751 N. H St.
This meeting is open to the public. County staff and project contractors will be in attendance to answer questions.
About the CBD Demolition Project
Escambia County is moving forward with the demolition and site clearing of the old Central Booking & Detention Facility located on Leonard Street, which was destroyed as a result of the April 2014 flooding. The early stages of the project will include site prep and removing material from inside the structure, which could take weeks or even months. Once the preparations are complete, the four-story building and adjacent one-story buildings can be demolished.
Scope of Work:Â
- The project includes the demolition of existing structures and site clearing, Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Complete removal and legal disposal of the structure, interior/exterior finishes, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and furnishings as to not damage any adjacent facilities.
- No stormwater pond or other construction will take place at this time.
- No explosives will be used during the demolition.
- Continuous monitoring of noise and air quality will take place to mitigate project nuisances, along with water spraying to prevent airborne materials from leaving the work zone.
- A hazardous material survey was performed, and any regulated materials will be removed and disposed of per proper Florida Department Of Environmental Protection procedures and regulations.
The Escambia County Commission awarded the contract for the demolition of the facility to Jobe’s Dirt Works, LLC at their Oct. 18 regular meeting. The demolition project is expected to take approximately eight months, barring weather or other unforeseen delays. The project engineering and demolition costs are estimated at $584,000.
No building will be rebuilt in the location. Instead, a 3.5 acre stormwater drainage pond will be constructed using a federal grant to reduce flooding in the area. While a depression will be in the ground until the drainage project construction begins, it is not the completed pond. Design plans for the new dry stormwater pond will be 90 percent complete in November. A construction start date has not yet been determined.
For more information, visit the project page.