Tower Demolition and Abatement

Client: Josephine County

Location: Grants Pass, Oregon

Abandonment of a legacy property owned by Oregon’s Josephine County (County) had led to an unfortunate case of urban blight in the center of a historic neighborhood. Operated as a hospital since 1919, the property became empty after the hospital staff relocated in 2000, leaving the County with an unfunded maintenance and operations obligation. When the County was unable to attract a new tenant, portions of the property declined into a dilapidated liability. Of the multiple structures that constituted the hospital facility, the unoccupied status of the hospital tower in particular had led to issues with vagrancy and the potential exposure of the surrounding community to hazardous substances. The County lacked the capacity to deal with the unsound structure, and its presence in its run-down state was decreasing the value of properties in the surrounding area.

Maul Foster & Alongi, Inc. (MFA) took on a management role in the abatement and demolition of the hospital tower. Through Oregon’s Brownfields program, the project team worked to secure funding for the County through grants and subsidized federal loans, then developed a pathway to remove the threat of hazardous and toxic contamination. By coordinating with County officials, MFA has helped to streamline the process of remediation, paving the way for a future buyer to acquire the property with significantly reduced risks.

Demolition and abatement efforts are ongoing. MFA will continue to assist the County in preparing the land for potential developers and operators and seeking out which sectors may be best poised to make a transaction. With the wheels set in motion for prospective purchasers, the County will finally have a functional, productive use for the tower property.

With MFA’s help, the client achieved:

• A start-to-finish plan for funding, demolition, and transacting the property
• Full funding through grants and highly subsidized federal loans
• Ongoing removal of a blighted, high-liability structure