Local firm wins Pittsburgh stadium demolition contract

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Dec 15, 2000 by Dickinson, Casey J

SYRACUSE - Bianchi Trison Corp. has won a $5.1 million contract to demolish Three Rivers Stadium for the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority. The former home of the Steelers and Pirates will fall to explosive charges and be swept away before April 2001, according to Richard Stem, manager of estimating and projects for Bianchi Trison.

"They want to fast-track this project," he adds.

Bianchi Trison will work with subcontractor Controlled Demolition, Inc.. (CDT) of Maryland, according to Greg Yesko, spokesman for the Sports and Exhibition Authority. CDT demolished Seattle's Kingdome stadium last year with explosive charges, reducing the huge building to a cloud of dust and debris.

Bianchi Trison, a Town of Geddes-based demolition company, received official word of its winning bid from the authority on Dec. 12. Bianchi Trison officials, including President William Bianchi, traveled to Pittsburgh to begin work on the project within two days of getting the news.

The authority has set a tentative date of Feb. 18 for leveling the structure.

The stadium will be brought down by explosive charges in a process known as implosion. The inside of the venue will be stripped of most components and then key structural elements wired with explosives. When the targeted charges detonate, the stadium will fall to the ground, raising a tremendous dust cloud.

Before the date of the implosion, Bianchi Trison engineers will remove and dispose of the building's asbestos insulation, fluorescent lights, and other hazardous materials to ensure the safety of local residents. The company will embark on a program of local outreach to inform Pittsburgh residents what to expect as the stadium comes down, says Stern.

Pittsburgh officials will restrict the area around the stadium during the blasting, and Bianchi Trison will take protective measures to keep nearby structures from damage during, the demolition project.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' new stadium is under construction approximately 65 feet from the team's soon-to-be-former home.

After Three Rivers Stadium is reduced to rubble, the company will recycle certain materials such as structural steel and other metals. The remaining pieces will be shipped to certified landfills for final disposal, says Stern.

Opened in July 1970 as a baseball and football stadium for the city's professional franchises, the Pittsburgh Pirates won two World Series titles and the Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowl championships while calling Three Rivers Stadium home.

Despite the stadium's historical and sentimental value for Pittsburgh sports fans, he adds, the company has no plans to sell off any of the pieces to collectors. The Sports and Exhibition Authority has removed many items from Three Rivers for later sale.

Founded in 1950, Bianchi Trison specializes in demolition. The contractor is best known to Syracusearea residents for its implosion of the former Midtown Plaza.

Bianchi Trison has completed several large demolition projects in Pennsylvania in recent years. The company imploded three high-rise residential buildings for the Philadelphia Housing Authority in 1998 and has two similar implosions scheduled for the authority next year.