PBC Environmental nears completion of demolition and environmental abatement at former Mercy Hospital

Portland, ME Since March 2022, PBC Environmental (PBCE), demolition and environmental abatement contractor and consultancy, has taken down the ambulatory wing of the former Mercy Hospital at 144 State St., which included the emergency building. To do so, that section needed to be surgically separated from the 1940s historic structure remaining for redevelopment. The removal generated 480 tons of metal and 3,668 cubic yards of concrete and masonry sent out in 312 truckloads: all for recycling.

The PBCE project team then focused efforts to the interior of the remaining structure. That ongoing work includes environmental abatement and the broad scale demolition and removal of the building’s 200,000 s/f interior back to the structure framing.

Co-founder & co-principal of PBC Environmental, Dean Raftopoulos said: “The Maine building community is our first home and we’re thrilled to be part of another landmark project such as this with our friends at Zachau Construction and developers NewHeight Group and Redfern Properties. With 65+ workers, supervisors, engineers, and project managers onsite for 5 months, this project required focus and constant attention to detail. That’s what we do well. It’s part of delivering the unique and exceptional customer experience we’re known for.”

Precautions were first taken to protect the many known historic building elements. Throughout the process, the PBCE team uncovered previously unknown historic items such as columns and carvings from an old chapel hidden above ceilings, in walls, and under floors. Their team worked with the owners, developers, construction manager, and historic society to surgically dismantle, expose, preserve and protect these items so the work could continue.

Clint Gendreau, PBC Environmental co-founder & co-principal said “We find historic property projects interesting and uniquely rewarding. A project such as this requires a higher-level of planning and management and a specialized team and skill sets that we’ve worked hard to hone. You never know what you’ll find.”

Developers, Redfern Properties and NewHeight Group with construction manager Zachau Construction are undertaking this complete transformation of Mercy Hospital’s old State St. campus to create greatly needed market-rate apartments (working with their non-profit partners Community Housing of Maine and the Portland Housing Authority) along with commercial retail and self-storage uses, in the 1940s vintage hospital.

After five months onsite with a team of over 65 workers, supervisors, engineers, and project managers, PBC Environmental reports that the demolition and abatement phase of the project is expected to be complete this month.

Rendering courtesy of Aceto Landscape Architects/Redfern Properties