Deconstruction of Former Boulder Community Health Hospital Enters Final Phase With a Focus on City Climate Goals

Deconstruction of the former Boulder Community Health Hospital building is entering its final phase after beginning in mid-August. The exterior of the hospital will be taken down and the concrete and brick will be crushed on-site to be made into structural fill. The Pavilion building will be left standing to be renovated for future city office use.

The city will work to minimize the impact the deconstruction will have on community members. Deconstruction will only take place during business hours and will be in accordance with the city’s noise ordinance.

One of the primary goals of the deconstruction project has been to reuse as much material from the building as possible. While sustainable deconstruction is a complex endeavor, it also provides an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the city’s zero waste and circular economy initiatives. During interior deconstruction, a large percentage of material was reused, and several auctions were held to direct pumps, motors, doors, fixtures and more to new uses rather than the landfill. Through this next and final phase of deconstruction, the focus is on reusing the hospital’s structural steel in other new building projects. Several city projects are incorporating the hospital steel in their designs. The first to make use of reclaimed steel is the new Fire Station 3 project which is planned to break ground later this year. In addition to city projects, three other projects being developed in the community are exploring incorporating the hospital steel into their designs.

Implementation work on the Alpine-Balsam site is in full swing. This work is being done in partnership with Boulder Housing Partners who will be developing the housing on the site. Additionally, flood mitigation, district energy, access and mobility are all being further developed through this work. More information and progress will be shared as the projects continue to develop.

For more information, visit the project webpage.