After the Flood…
Demolition and Restoration of the Glenville Community

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Client: Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT)
            New Castle County

Challenge
Over a 15-year period, severe repeated flooding ravaged much of the 195 home Glenville Community in Stanton, Delaware. More than two-thirds of the Glenville homes suffered water damage.

Solution
DelDOT and New Castle County, through an unprecedented joint effort, committed to buy-out and relocate the impacted property owners with the objective of utilizing the vacated properties for flood storage and wetlands mitigation. Ultimately, 160 homes were purchased and demolished. Duffield Associates was selected as program manager for the demolition utilizing a design build approach.

Duffield Associates oversaw the preparation of multiple FEMA grant applications which were awarded to fund project activities.

Deadline adherence was critical. A majority of residents were relocated, utilities disconnected, demolition permits obtained, the homes abated for asbestos and razed and the lots graded and stabilized in approximately 5 months. Our team brought the project in on schedule and under projected budgets, despite frequent rescheduling and reprioritizing.

Factors adding to the complexity of this project included:
1) Not all properties were purchased prior to initiation of demolition activities;
2) Some residents remained in the construction zone during these activities, or delayed relocation for substantial periods of time;
3) This was the first time the demolition of this many houses was permitted by local regulatory authorities at one time and permit requirements and approach needed to be adapted and developed throughout the project;
4) Emerging future site reuse objectives needed to be addressed in project planning, phasing and permitting; and
5) The program management team was required to adapt coordination and scheduling to utilize previous DelDOT contracts for demolition and to function within the constraints imposed by these contracts.

This unprecedented multi-government collaborative effort rescued this community from future flooding and, in the process, created a new, revitalized community and a tremendous positive environmental benefit.

This project was awarded the Conceptor Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies-Delaware.