Razing of collapsed Rhine Channel building to start Monday

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- Demolition work will begin Monday on a building near

the Rhine Channel that collapsed last month and was declared unsafe by

the city.

The 23-year-old building’s parking garage facing the bay caved in Nov.

6 when a rusty support beam gave way. The garage snapped off the main

structure, an office building.

Workers have been preparing for the demolition since last week,

disconnecting utilities, shoring and securing the area before the

building comes down.

Today, they will remove a few cars from the parking structure that

were trapped when the building collapsed.

That and the demolition has turned out to be a hefty task that could

cost more than $100,000, officials said.

The cars must be removed when the tide is low , contractor Jeff Tanner

said.

“We took time to analyze and plan everything so we don’t make the

wrong choices,” he said. It is a unique situation because of the

waterfront, Tanner added.

He said over the last week, workers have removed all furniture and

contents of the building.

“The shoring is in, and that’s going to help a lot,” he said.

Precautions have also been taken to ensure more debris doesn’t fall

into the water, said Jay Elbettar, the city’s building director.

“The physical restraints are very tight with the sea wall and the

water,” he said.

Elbettar said city officials have been inspecting the area and are

working with the building’s owner and the contractor to ensure the

demolition goes smoothly.

City planners are also involved in discussions with the owner to come

up with options for the site after the building is brought down. The

property was put on the market only six months before it collapsed, with

an asking price of $3.5 million.

“It’s too early to say what’s going to happen with it,” Elbettar said.

“It’s up to the owner.”