Out with the old, in with the new

Crews make progress at state complex

As a large machine sorted through debris at the State Office Complex in Waterbury last Friday, its mechanical claw crushed a sign bearing the words, “Vermont State Hospital.”

The moment symbolized the demise of the former complex, once a major hub of activity in town, but also marked a milestone in its rebirth.

From the outside, it may not seem like much is happening at the state complex. But, behind the fenced-off brick buildings, a transformation is taking place, breathing new life into an area that’s been mostly lifeless since sustaining heavy flood damage during Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011.

Mike Stevens, a special projects administrator with the state of Vermont, oversees the $125 million project to rebuild the State Office Complex. He’s pleased with the project’s progress so far, and said now that winter has relinquished its cold grip, even more work can be done.

“Activity levels will be dramatically increased over the next few months,” he said before giving a Waterbury Record reporter and photographer a tour of the construction site last Friday.

The goal is to get the site fully operational by the end of 2015, he said, so state workers can return to work in Waterbury.

When the employees do return, the site will feature all new facilities, including a new 86,000-square-foot office building and a 20,000-square-foot central power plant and maintenance facility.

A total of 22 buildings will have been demolished, and the complex’s 13 historic core buildings will have undergone a massive renovation, complete with new energy-efficient windows.

“The new windows will have the same visual aesthetic appeal of what we had in there originally, but they’ll be far more energy efficient,” Stevens said.

Other historic elements, like the porte cochere structure overlooking the complex’s horseshoe entrance, will be restored.

“There will be one main entrance for the general public, and once you’re in the complex you will be funneled to where you need to go,” Stevens said. “This will increase campus security and help control traffic flow.”

Many of the original trees still line the front of the complex, although some of them had to be cut down for various reasons.

“Some were sick, some were dangerous,” Stevens said. “We collaborated with an arborist who evaluated the whole area and we tried to save as many as we could, even trees that were not included in the design plans.”

Since the whole campus is considered historic, Stevens said, everything on the site was evaluated thoroughly before starting selective demolition projects last fall. The historic core was also subject to a $5 million asbestos abatement overhaul, which is now complete.

Stevens said the round buildings situated at either end of the historic core will be outfitted for use as office space. A final vision for use of the renovated historic core has not yet been determined.

Hard at work

The sprawling site in the back of the complex is bustling with construction activity.

Stevens said work typically takes place Monday through Friday, starting at 7 a.m. and wrapping up at about 3:30 p.m. A few crew members can even be found digging around for a few hours on Saturdays.

“We don’t work every weekend,” Stevens said. “But the closer we get to the end date, the more likely we will.”

About 55 workers were onsite during the recent tour, but Stevens said there have been as many as 120 to 150 workers onsite at times.

During the tour, workers in big dump trucks maneuvered around massive mounds of demolition debris comprised of twisted piles of rebar and concrete towering nearly two stories high.

Some of the piles have been neatly sorted and organized, while others are being picked over, piece by tiny piece, with the help of heavy-duty construction equipment.

Despite all the ongoing demo work, the construction site is remarkably clean.

“We work that way every day, but we can always improve,” Stevens said with a smile.

As of late last week, workers were busy using a heavy claw-like machine — aptly referred to as the “muncher” — to finish bringing down the old Brooks building, which dates back to 1938.

At the time of the flood, the Brooks building housed the Vermont State Hospital.

Once demolition of that building is complete, the existing power plant will be the only remaining structure that needs to be torn down.

Stevens characterizes the demolition process as a “start and stop activity,” as crews must take care not to damage any of the surrounding historic buildings.

“We have a vibration monitor onsite so we can be sure not to impact those other buildings,” he said.

Next door to the Brooks building, two men worked on the foundation for the new power plant. Stevens said work on the plant started about two weeks ago. The goal is to have it fully functional by the end of the year.

Meeting those scheduling goals, though, will depend largely on the weather. Heavy rains earlier this week put a damper on construction work.

“Obviously, the weather is one of the biggest issues around here,” Stevens said. “There’s no doubt about it. It definitely impacts production. But you just do what you can to keep everything on track.”