Published: 6:33AM Monday February 10, 2014 Source: Fairfax

Christchurch's post-earthquake demolition boom appears over but not before companies pocketed nearly $90 million from Government-managed contracts, figures reveal.

At its peak, an estimated 150 demolition companies vied for business in the city but as demolition is slowly replaced by construction, many are leaving or diversifying to pursue other projects.

Figures from the latest financial review of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) show it signed off 482 demolition contracts worth $89.15m in the last four financial periods. That figure does not include private demolitions or the clearance of red-zoned residential properties.

A breakdown revealed Cera-sanctioned demolitions peaked in the 2011-12 financial year when more than half (276) of its contracts were awarded. That year, more than $43.1m of work was done.

One of the biggest contracts - $11.65m - was awarded to Fletcher Construction to demolish the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Cashel St.

Cera confirmed it, or Civil Defence in the early emergency response, had handled 1497 full or partial demolitions. There are another 167 full or partial jobs scheduled.

Southern Demolition owner Alan Edge, whose company figured prominently in the list of awarded contracts, said he prospered for a time but other companies fared worse. Some fell into liquidation as increased competition made tendering harder.

"We moved into a fairly hectic patch for about four or five months, then it slowed before it gained momentum again," he said.

His company and a few others were the "mainstay" of demolition companies before the earthquakes but other companies, eyeing a slice of the lucrative demolition pie, set up business.

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Firms leave Christchurch as $90m boom ends

Demolition is tentatively set to begin Monday morning on the last building still standing amid the fire-ravaged site of the historic McClung warehouses in downtown Knoxville.

City contractors began work Sunday, using heavy machinery to clear charred debris from the foundation where a massive fire gutted another one of the vacant structures barely a week ago.

Rather than an old-fashioned wrecking ball, an ultra high-reach excavator capable of reaching 115 feet into the air will be used to dismantle the remaining eight-level warehouse piece by piece, said Kirill Vladimirovich, head of business with North Carolina-based J.W. Demolition.

That piece of equipment gives us the ability to recycle building materials through deconstruction, more so than demolition, he said. Slowly but surely, well take it down almost like you would a building made out of Legos.

Contractors expect to recycle more than 90 percent of the rubble.

The city of Knoxville, which owns the property, has claimed 500 bricks from the site, to be used for a future preservationist effort.

Fountain City resident Stan Sitton managed to snag his own memento brick with a polite request as well.

Sitton was among a scattering of onlookers who turned out Sunday to watch as the iconic albeit blighted piece of Knoxvilles skyline was put to rest.

Its all history disappearing, right here, Sitton said. That buildings been there forever. Look at all the brickwork in that building. All the brick, somebody had to lay that, you know. Somebody did all that.

Its sad its got to go, but it is pretty neat.

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Sunday's site work marks the beginning of the end for McClung buildings

D'IBERVILLE, MS (WLOX) -

The process started at 7 p.m. Saturday when Interstate 10 was shut down for miles as work crews laid down a thick layer of sand beneath the old Highway 67 overpass.

It wasn't long after the sand went down before the big machines went to work, crushing the old bridge into dust.

MDOT Project Manager Michael Harter said the work is necessary if D'Iberville is going to grow.

"We're building a new bridge as part of the new diamond diversion interchange that will occur at this location, as part of the large infrastructure project here in the D'Iberville area," Harter said.

Of course shutting down a major road for an entire night took quite a bit of planning, but Harter says all that planning paid off.

"The process has gone really really well. The demolition is moving smoothly. The machines are working simultaneously. We have extra machines, in case those break down. Law enforcement has done a great job installing a detour, and everything is going great."

The demolition did cause a headache for some drivers, as they had to take a 19 mile detour.

Westbound drivers were diverted from I-10, to get on Highway 67, then take Highway 605 to get back on the interstate. The same detour in reverse for eastbound drivers.

Traffic got a bit thick because of the major detour, but several law enforcement agencies worked together on a large scale to keep drivers safe and on track.

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Demolition of Highway 67 bridge makes room for expansion

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- J.W. Demolition began tearing down what's left of the McClung Warehouses in downtown Knoxville on Sunday.

After last week's fire, there was no hope of saving the structure.

Knoxville Fire Marshal Danny Beeler said, "Unfortunately this building was to a point, it had to come down."

Crews explained the demolition is a time to focus on the future of downtown Knoxville.

"These blotted buildings were the site of Knoxville when people drove through. So, in that retrospect, it's going to be good that we can get some new construction in here, get some development and make it a good landscape for Knoxville," said Beeler.

Fire crews tell Local 8 News they have an idea of who started the fire.

"We are still investigating. We are talking to people who know this building, people that are familiar with the building, and have been in there recently. We're still looking for a few people. It's ongoing," Beeler explained.

Fire crews say the city's cameras may have captured the culprits.

"The video is real time, so we have to look at it, minute by minute. We can't fast forward or we might miss someone going in or out," said Beeler.

Crews will try to save what they can piece by piece.

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McClung Warehouse demolition began Sunday

ANDERSON Vendors at this years Upstates Home and Garden Expo are saying 2014 could be a pretty good year for the construction business.

They say the thousands of people visiting this years expo at the Civic Center of Anderson appear to be serious about fixing up bathrooms, replacing windows and building homes.

Weve had great traffic, said Nonnie Wright, showroom manager for Pro Source Supply of Anderson. This show is great for people showing interest and not just walking through looking for freebies.

Wright said the expo lets consumers see Pro Sources plumbing fixtures up-close.

We get more bang for the buck out of this show than any other kind of advertising we do, she said. People like to see and feel and touch it, to get a sample of what youve got.

Dave Smith, who runs Mobius Construction in Townville, is a first-timer at the expo. He is hoping to come away with at least 10 leads this weekend from people wanting new bathrooms, kitchens or custom-built homes. He has been happy with the foot traffic past his booth, he said. No sales as of Saturday afternoon, but hes had plenty of people come by to discuss cabinets and countertops.

Im very happy with the Home Builders Association (Home Builders Association of Anderson, the group that presents the show). Theyre doing a great job here, Smith said.

Hutch Design is finding a lot of folks interested in custom ornamental metal work, such as handrails and gates.

Its been pretty good yesterday and today, said owner Chad Hutchins. Ive probably got 12 leads so far, plus referrals from other vendors. This could be our best year since the downturn (in 2008).

Those business-to-business referrals are as important as making direct contacts with consumers, if not more so.

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Vendors happy with Anderson expo, 2014 outlook

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