Demolition of Telephone Hill now open for bids, with city seeking completion of work by July 31
- Mark Sabbatini
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Notice published Saturday sets a bid deadline of April 28; specifies contractor will retain ownership of scrap metal, but CBJ keeps items of historical value
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
The bidding process for the demolition of Telephone Hill is officially underway.
An official notice published Saturday states the City and Borough of Juneau is scheduled to accept bids until April 28, with interested contractors required to attend a pre-bid conference and on-site visit on April 17. Work must be completed by July 31 or "90 days from the commencement of work, whichever comes first," according to CBJ’s website.
"Seven residential dwellings and two detached garages in the Telephone Hill neighborhood are scheduled for demolition as part of a planned housing development project in downtown Juneau," a summary in the 205-page bid document notes. Descriptions and pictures of each of the nine structures, including what hazardous materials have been found during inspections, are at the end of the document.
Work includes demolition of the structures "including hazardous materials, electrical poles, wooden decks, concrete pads/stairs, and fuel tanks," according to the bid document. Also involved in removal of debris including "waste and recyclable materials movement, transportation, and disposition, including management of construction debris, hazardous debris, and contaminated soil."
The "engineer’s estimate" for the work in the bid contract is $2.3 million. The Assembly has approved $5.5 million for the first phase of demolition and site preparation in the neighborhood, with a total estimate of $9 million for all site and road work prior to new construction in the area.
City officials say completing that work quickly is essential so companies interested in redeveloping the area with midrise apartments — and possibly other structures — will have a predictable set of factors to base their cost estimates on.
Demolition, if it proceeds, will occur several months later than originally envisioned when the Juneau Assembly last June approved a plan requiring Telephone Hill residents to vacate the homes they were renting by Oct. 1 so demolition could begin before the end of the year. The eviction date was postponed by a month due to a legal snarl about how the notices were served, and the city then had to pursue further legal action against people in three residences who failed to leave by the new Nov. 1 deadline.
The final occupied residence on Telephone Hill — also known as the oldest house in Juneau — was vacated on Feb. 28.
A civil lawsuit by several former Telephone Hill residents claiming their eviction and the city’s redevelopment plans for the area are illegal is pending in state superior court, with a readiness hearing scheduled for April 17 and a tentative trial set for January of next year. City officials have stated they plan to proceed with the demolition while the lawsuit is pending, barring a legal order preventing the work.
The bid packet notes that while the contractor will be the owner of all scrap metal from the demolition, the city as the property owner will retain ownership of items of historical value.
"Historic items, relics, antiques, and similar objects including, but not limited to, cornerstones and their contents, commemorative plaques and tablets, and other items of interest or value to Owner that may be uncovered during demolition remain the property of Owner," the document notes. "If any items are found that may fit this description, stop work and notify Owner and Engineer."
In addition to certain structural landmarks — such as a plaque on the Edward Webster House proclaiming it the oldest residence in Juneau — some residents left many of their belongings in the homes they vacated.
The bid document spells out specific measures that must be taken for each step of the demolition. Eight of the nine structures, for instance, the contractor must "completely demolish and remove the following structures, including all concrete foundation and basement materials, leaving the sites clear of all building debris."
However, at one location the entire basement must be left in place and a city engineer contacted for a structural inspection, which will "determine the extent of the basement to remain."
Among the other instructions: • "Remove structural framing members and lower to ground by method suitable to avoid free fall and to prevent ground impact or dust generation."
• "Thoroughly crush all building debris on each site to allow maximum quantities to be placed in each shipping container for disposal."
• "Cleanup: After demolition, the Contractor shall clean up the area. There shall be no debris, rubble or litter left at the site from any of the demolition operations and the site shall be clean after the demolition is complete. Level of cleanliness shall be such that no debris can be picked up by wind or stormwater."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
