COLUMBUS, Ind. — Demolition on the fire-gutted Irwin Block Building could begin any day now.
Jimmy Arthur, an estimator and project manager at Casey-Bertram, said the company was hoping to start demolition this week, though the timing will be dependent on the completion of pre-demolition work. Columbus Code Enforcement Officer Fred Barnett confirmed that a demolition permit for the building has been filed.
“I think it’ll definitely be a slow process, just because obviously, we want to take the building down safely without damaging property or having anyone injured,” said Arthur. “So obviously, having the wall there on the east side that’s kind of unsupported right now, we’ll be coming up with a plan of attack to get that down safely and then kind of go from there. It’ll turn into more of a traditional demo, top-down demo, using heavy machinery.”
Pre-demolition tasks include disconnecting utilities, inspecting the building and working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to ensure the correct steps are being taken prior to demolition.
Arthur estimated that the process of demolition and debris removal could take about six to eight weeks, depending on when the work begins.
It has been over a month since a fire destroyed the Irwin Block Building, resulting in a large portion of its third-story façade collapsing onto the sidewalk and street. The building, which is located on Fifth Street in downtown Columbus, is believed to be at risk of collapse.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
