Demolition is a 'delicate' job

Contractors are demolishing the rear of a large building in Whanganui's Victoria Ave. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY

It's not so easy knocking down a poor quality concrete building while keeping its facade intact, David Jurgens says.

His demolition company staff have another two weeks' work to finish pulling down the rear of the Selwyn Building, former home to the Whanganui AA offices at 74 Victoria Avenue.

There are about eight staff working there .

The building's facade has been propped and boarded up, and has to remain intact.
It's not a first for the company - it managed to retain the facades of two buildings it demolished after the Christchurch earthquakes.

"It's a bit delicate because of the front wall, otherwise it's not that hard," Mr Jurgens said.

The building was "poor quality" concrete, with brick infill. The resulting rubble will be crushed and sold for use on forestry roads.

"It's better to do that than fill a landfill up with it."

The company did manage to salvage the wooden flooring from the former rock 'n roll club/billiard hall at the rear of the building - very good timber, Mr Jurgens said.

The Victoria Ave building will have its facade repainted, with new retail spaces built behind it by W&W Construction 2010.

Jurgens Demolition works nationally, and was very busy after the Christchurch earthquakes but has no South Island jobs at present.

It is doing a major job for Fletchers in Auckland, Mr Jurgens said. Following earthquakes in Wellington it is also knocking down part of the Queensgate Shopping Centre in Lower Hutt, and two other small brick buildings in that area.