Brevard council approves full demolition plan for Tannery North smoke stack, allocates funds

Brevard City Council voted June 1 to contract for full demolition of the 125-foot Tannery North smoke stack and removal of a contaminated vault, approving staff—s funding recommendation to cover the work.

City Manager Wilson Cooper told council that bids for three package options were close in price and recommended hiring one firm to perform both the vault removal and a full demolition. "We support full demolition so that the city isn't burdened with the long-term maintenance and responsibility for the remnant," he said, noting the staff-recommended option carried only a marginal premium of about $7,300 on an approximately $300,000 project. Cooper said the proposal would be funded with $100,000 from the multi-use path fund and $200,000 from the city's unrestricted fund balance.

Staff described a third option—partial demolition leaving a remnant—as higher risk because insurers and structural engineers would want to assess an actual remnant before committing to coverage; that sequence could increase costs if the contractor had to finish full demolition after a partial take-down. Cooper said that potential switch could add roughly $27,000 in expense.

Council members questioned whether brick could be salvaged for reuse. Cooper said some brick might be recoverable but that hand-cleaning mortar from recovered pieces would be labor-intensive. Several councilors emphasized safety concerns and the need to remove an unstable structure that insurers had said they would no longer cover at full height.

After discussion, council approved the staff-recommended option (single contractor to remove the vault and fully demolish the stack) with an amendment asking staff to salvage as much original brick as reasonably possible for future use. The vote authorized appropriation of the proposed funds to cover the selected option and a small contingency.

The city and staff said the demolition work is timed to avoid demobilization delays: contractors and engineers expect to assess any partial-demolition remnant within 48 hours if the partial option were chosen, but council chose the full-demolition path to reduce long-term liability. Cooper said the demolition will be carried out under an environmental management plan intended to minimize disturbance to the brownfield and to remove coal-ash deposits and other contaminants from the stack base.

Next steps: staff will execute the awarded contract(s) and begin demolition preparations; the council asked staff to pursue salvaged brick options and to return with any material changes to cost or scope.