By Ethan Tutor
The Scene staff
The demolition of A and B towers on the Forest Park campus has been delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. Louis Community College initially planned to tear them down in mid-March.
“I’m not sure when the demolition will start back up,” said Ken Kempf, STLCC engineer and design manager. “A lot of it depends on manpower, regulatory agencies, suppliers, etc. … All things that are out of our control.”
Governors in Missouri and other states have closed schools, including STLCC campuses, as well as many businesses deemed “non-essential.” It’s designed to help slow spread of the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19.
“Construction is exempt from the city, county and state stay-at-home orders,” Kempf said. “But some suppliers and subcontractors are shut down by pandemic-related issues, so some work is delayed.”
STLCC is tearing down A and B towers to make room for greenspace and walkways around Forest Park’s new $39 million Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, which opened last fall.
The four-story brick towers make up about half of the east wing of the main campus building. Construction workers have spent weeks preparing them for demolition, including the removal of glass windows and hazardous materials such as asbestos.
The tear-down was expected to start in mid-March and last about 10 weeks.
“When demolition does resume, it will proceed according to the specifications developed by the design team and administered by Tarlton, the construction manager employed by the college,” Kempf said. “It includes all applicable safety procedures required by OSHA, the city and other regulatory agencies.”
Millions of Americans are subject to stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All STLCC buildings are closed, and classes have been moved online