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Contractor: Asbestos removal, transite panel work and a 36-tree permit are next at Baptist Hospital site
Summary
Jacobs project manager Joshua Wallace told the CRA the demolition is in abatement phase 2 with asbestos removal progressing into the hospital first floor, transite (exterior asbestos-containing) panel removal scheduled for Towers 1–2, and a phase‑1 tree‑removal permit for 36 trees in a 21‑day review window; staff announced furniture salvage and expanded public forums.
Joshua Wallace, a Jacobs project manager, gave the Community Redevelopment Agency a monthly status update on the long-running Baptist Hospital demolition project.
Wallace said crews have completed asbestos abatement in Towers 1, 2 and 3 and in single‑story connectors, and have begun asbestos removal on the first floor of the main hospital, proceeding east to west. He estimated roughly 30% of first‑floor abatement is complete and reported about nine dump‑truck loads of material removed to date (approximately 2,600 sealed bags), prioritized for regulated landfills consistent with asbestos controls.
He described plans to remove exterior transite panels at Towers 1 and 2: crews will unanchor solid panels, slide them into hoppers, wrap them and transport them to a regulated disposal facility. Wallace said transite removal will be performed with equipment and containment measures to limit airborne release and that the work will be visible from the street.
Wallace also told the board that the project team submitted a phase‑1 tree‑removal permit covering 36 trees; that application entered a 21‑day review period and staff expected a decision the week of March 16. He said some trees adjacent to Towers 1 and 2 must be removed to allow safe equipment access for transite removal and demolition, while other trees will be preserved where feasible.
Staff confirmed the city arborist reviewed the impacted trees, and that the demolition plan includes tree‑protection measures and contractor notices: the contractor will be notified if protection measures—such as protecting drip lines—are not observed. Board members asked staff to ensure protection of the drip lines for trees that remain and to have arborist oversight during site work.
Wallace said the team will continue public engagement: the first public forum drew about 40 attendees, bimonthly forums are planned (with an additional on‑site 'open sidewalk talk' series for morning attendees), and the project website will be kept current. He also said Habitat for Humanity/Restore will begin removing reusable furniture the following day and staff will track salvaged items for community reuse.
The update closed with staff pledging to provide regular monitoring reports, air‑monitoring checks and to keep the board and public informed of schedule changes and permit outcomes.
