As we embark upon our journey to build a new and improved Ralston Central Park, some of you may wonder what exactly is happening at Garrison Street along the Ralston Creek? You may have noticed that it is taking weeks to remove structures like the picnic pavilion and old ice arena. That is because The City of Arvada has placed recycling and reusing at the forefront of this construction project.
While the drainage and channel project related to the Federal Flood Plain requirements began this April and will last nine months before completion, a methodical demolition process is also underway. That is because the City required the contractor to “deconstruct” the structures and recycle a majority of the materials at the site. Reusing or recycling materials during construction and demolition can have significant and long-term benefits, including reduced project costs; alleviating the environmental effects of extracting, transporting and processing raw materials; conserving space in landfills and helping other communities.
Some of the ways Arvada has put this into practice is the picnic pavilion. Instead of quickly pounding the structure into pieces with the heavy machinery found on site, the pavilion was disassembled and sold to a private party who will have it re-constructed on property in Montana. The metal from the ice arena, (the steel beams, copper, etc.) along with the insulation, wood, and concrete were sorted and sold for reuse.
In addition, sand from the volleyball pit was transported to the Rose Roots Community Garden for the children’s play area; wood from the trees that had to be removed was sold for use as firewood, mulch, and other marketable products; asphalt and concrete are being reconstituted for reuse: truckloads of dirt yet to be removed will be used for projects under construction somewhere in Colorado. More significantly, 25 trees were relocated to other parks in the Arvada community, and 16 were relocated on the site, and we are stockpiling top soil in the form of a dirt mountain for use in both the Ralston Central Park and at Wolff Park adjacent to Arvada K-8 School.
According to Hamon Contractors, nearly 90% of the materials removed from the park will be reused in some way.
Once the drainage and channel project concludes, then phase two, the construction for the park, will begin with the anticipated completion date of October 2013. Take a look at just one of the special features of this park that will make it a gathering place for children and adults. Everyone will find a way to play.