Bon Aire section and other exterior changes to Hotel Breakers

Pete's avatar

JW Addington said:

I was wondering why a building being demolished was all lit up last night.

Was the building lit up on the inside, with presumably work lights?


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

JW Addington's avatar

It was lit up more than you think it would be for a building being demolished.


When you visit CP, visit my Mill, est. 1835

Pete's avatar

Hmmm... Well, I find that clean cut very unusual. Demolition crews that I've seen don't bother with a clean cut, and debris are removed ongoing as the building is being demolished. This looks much more like what they did with the Twin Section, where they made a clean cut to keep the rest of the building. Debris from the demolished part looks almost entirely removed now, they should be hard at work with the rest of the building. The pause itself is very unusual because in the contracting world, time is money.

Also, a lit up building is highly unusual, if for no other reason than that you wouldn't want electricity on in something that is being demolished.

Last edited by Pete,

I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

The clean cut and lights on are strange for a building being leveled. As others have said, it might be turned into employee housing, but if that were the case I would've thought only the connecting hallway be demolished


2015 - Ride Host: Shoot the Rapids 2016 - Team Leader: Ripcord/Challenge Golf 2017 - Supervisor: Thunder Canyon 2018 - Supervisor: Camp Snoopy 2019 - Supervisor: Power Tower

Jeff's avatar

Let me save time and skip the play-by-play a few weeks:

"Whoa, there's nothing there where Bon Aire used to be!"


Jeff - Advocate of Great Great Tunnels™ - Co-Publisher - PointBuzz - CoasterBuzz - Blog - Music

Pete's avatar

That is probably what will happen, but what the demolition guys are doing IS very strange. Even the plastic. Notice how the plastic is over parts that are open but not where an inside wall is keeping the elements out. Obviously trying to protect the inside of the building, but why?


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

kylepark's avatar

Given the age of Bon Aire, there's a good chance it contained asbestos. Don't know how much abatement occurred before starting the demolition, but the plastic might indicate not all the hazardous materials were removed and now coming down with the building.

kylepark said:

Given the age of Bon Aire, there's a good chance it contained asbestos. Don't know how much abatement occurred before starting the demolition, but the plastic might indicate not all the hazardous materials were removed and now coming down with the building.

DING! We have a winner!


NWLB
*****************
@NWLB, +NathanBoyle, NathanVerse.com

Pete's avatar

If this is asbestos abatement they would have done the entire building before the start of demolition. Its not like the first 25% of Bon Air is asbestos free while the other 75% contains the stuff. They would not have demolished what they did.

Besides, Bon Air is too old for asbestos to be a problem. Asbestos was not commonly used in construction until the 1940's..


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

kylepark's avatar

There are buildings much older than Bon Aire that have asbestos, where they've been reinsulated at one point in time. Just like the 80-90 year old school buildings in Ohio that have been razed in the last decade or so. Usually it's removed before the structure comes down. The Idora Park Ballroom, which was built in 1910, contained asbestos. When it burned down the fire department had to water it down each day until the site was cleaned up so the toxic fibers didn't get in the air. Much of the debris is taken to a proper dumping site. What the real reason for the pause in the demoliton, I don't know. Maybe there was a problem. Safety plays a much bigger part in construction/demoliton these days. I won't be at the Winter Chill Out, but those that attend should ask the park staff about the Bon Aire demolition.

Thabto's avatar

It's been a few days and nothing has happened with the Bon Aire demolition. Hopefully we'll find out more at WCO.


Brian
Valravn Rides: 24| Steel Vengeance Rides: 27| Dragster Rollbacks: 1

Pete's avatar

I don't think Bon Air has insulation, at least going by what I saw when the Rotunda was opened up. Since Breakers was built as a summer hotel, insulation was never an issue and I don't think it was ever added. They are probably insulating now since the hotel is now air conditioned, but when Breakers was built open windows were the only form of climate control.


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Pete said:

I don't think Bon Air has insulation, at least going by what I saw when the Rotunda was opened up. Since Breakers was built as a summer hotel, insulation was never an issue and I don't think it was ever added. They are probably insulating now since the hotel is now air conditioned, but when Breakers was built open windows were the only form of climate control.

Asbestos would have been used here more for fireproofing than insulation.

And given how close the site is to the hotel tower and ventilation systems, the last thing anybody wants are fibers of asbestos floating all over the buildings to it. Cold weather also makes watering down a site somewhat problematic as the fibers would get locked into ice, the ice melts, same issue. And you won't drag endless chunks of ice to a dump.

So the process underway is entirely rational as far as I can think things out.

Naturally there will therefore be a person that insists they are covertly planning to retain the building and turn it into a dark ride.


NWLB
*****************
@NWLB, +NathanBoyle, NathanVerse.com

It should also be noted that asbestos is not used only in insulating, but in all kinds of materials, including floor and ceiling tiles (our house had that for the kitchen floor, entranceway, and I think still has it at the bottom of the basement stairs). Having said that, it kind of looks like they're adding a wall to the end there. I could definitely see them use this as alternative employee dorms, if only temporarily. But of course, it shouldn't take long to demolish the rest if they still wanted to have that done for opening weekend.

Ty-Rant_13 said:

It should also be noted that asbestos is not used only in insulating, but in all kinds of materials, including floor and ceiling tiles (our house had that for the kitchen floor, entranceway, and I think still has it at the bottom of the basement stairs). Having said that, it kind of looks like they're adding a wall to the end there. I could definitely see them use this as alternative employee dorms, if only temporarily. But of course, it shouldn't take long to demolish the rest if they still wanted to have that done for opening weekend.

The building had been severed at the current pause point well over a week ago. The visqueen walls are most likely the usual containment steps you see when schools and other old buildings have abatement work done. They create positive air pressure, have men in ventilators and hazmat suites doing the work.


NWLB
*****************
@NWLB, +NathanBoyle, NathanVerse.com

Thabto's avatar

But why did they do the first part of the building then stop? Was there no asbestos in there?


Brian
Valravn Rides: 24| Steel Vengeance Rides: 27| Dragster Rollbacks: 1

They likely cleared the now demolished part first, that is why.

Also, who said they stopped? They could working the other side the building, or preparing to finish the next section, etc.

Paving a parking lot doesn't take long, nor does taking down the rest of the building, it isn't under the same time constraints as the other work.

Last edited by NWLB,

NWLB
*****************
@NWLB, +NathanBoyle, NathanVerse.com

Thabto's avatar

I think it would've made more sense to clear the entire building before the demolition.


Brian
Valravn Rides: 24| Steel Vengeance Rides: 27| Dragster Rollbacks: 1

Evidently not. Which presumes naturally that we are dealing with asbestos, which seems logical.

Maybe the first part didn't need it and it's the rest that does and it'll take more time than is ideal.

Maybe they already finished and the unsealed walls you see are not going to be repaired.

Maybe they had more salvage they could take out and wanted to keep things warm, or less windy. They did that while working on the main section a few weeks ago.

Bottom line is this isn't some big mystery, just part of the process.


NWLB
*****************
@NWLB, +NathanBoyle, NathanVerse.com

Also, if I recall the section takend own first, and sealed from the rest of the building, was also connected to the tower by a now demolished hallway structure.

Might have been simply been keeping ventilation/foot traffic from the rest of the effort. And that area would have to be patched in-time for opening.


NWLB
*****************
@NWLB, +NathanBoyle, NathanVerse.com

You must be logged in to postArchived.

POP Forums app ©2024, POP World Media, LLC - Terms of Service