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Board debates whether to demolish and surcharge Barbara Roberts site now as funding remains uncertain
Summary
OTEC and construction representatives briefed the board on demolition, surcharging and schedule for the Barbara Roberts redevelopment; presenters recommended surcharging the site with rock now to reduce later settlement, while board members raised concerns about funding, storage, grant deadlines and safety of a large temporary rock pile.
The board heard a detailed update from project consultants about the Barbara Roberts redevelopment, including an analysis that demolition plus site surcharging would improve long-term soil stability and shorten the future construction schedule.
“We're in 50% construction documents…and once we have that, we'll go in for permit, which will include demolition permit. We're hoping to demo the building in August,” one presenter said while describing the design schedule and next permitting steps. Consultants explained the geotechnical approach: place roughly 4–7 feet of rock as a surcharge, allow it to sit for weeks to compress underlying soils, then remove much of that surface rock for reuse on site; doing that work ahead of full construction could reduce future…
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