Demolition of Radisson set to begin
The demolition of the structures on the former Radisson Hotel site will begin Jan. 10 in order to make way for the new Marriott Vacation Club.
Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) purchased the Radisson property this summer and will convert the hotel rooms and suites into timeshare-like ownership units.
Vinnie Grasser, the development manager for Marriott Ownership Resort, Inc., and William Rose, regional manager of D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company, Inc. of Tampa, presented the demolition plan Wednesday at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort. Several executives of the Hilton and Marco Island city staff attended the briefing and question and answer session.
Mac Chaudhry, general manager of the Hilton, said that he was pleased with the plan.
“The good part is that they are providing us the contact person in case there is an issue with the noise,” he said. “We can discuss it with them and talk about it. That’s the good part.”
The Marco Island City Council approved an ordinance to amend the Land Development Code and the Residential Tourist (RT) Zoning District to establish a new conditional use for hotel along the west side of South Collier Boulevard. The amendment allows for the conversion of the Radisson’s hotel units and for the south tower to be increased to 150 feet in height from base flood elevation to the mid-point of the roof. The present structure is 125 feet. MVCI originally wanted to build the new south tower to 200 feet.
A stipulation in the ordinance requires that at least seven percent of room nights in the facility be available for rental to the general public over the course of each year.
Grasser and Rose presented a drawing of the demolition plan, which showed the site as it exists today and a ghosted overlay of proposed buildings that would coincide with the phasing schedule of demolition and construction of the new property.
Interior demolition will start Jan. 10. Equipment will operate from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. until noon Saturdays.
The beach tower facing the Charter Club and the north tower facing the Hilton will be gutted down to a concrete frame. The penthouse of the beach tower will be removed and another floor will be added within the height restrictions.
Rose said that there is non-friable mastic encased asbestos in the buildings located on the sinks and behind the bathroom mirrors. He added there is no friable asbestos.
“From a removal standpoint, we won’t use any means that will make the material friable,” he said. “We will remove the sinks whole and discard them whole. Where the little mastic dots are, we will cut that Sheetrock out and remove the dots and discard that as well.”
Grasser said the existing parking garage and front tower facing the road will be completely demolished.
“The south tower gets demolished to the fourth level and will become a two-level sales center.”
The last two bays of the north and pool towers will also be completely demolished.
Rose said that the demolition plan will minimize the amount of nuisance to the area.
“We’re not going to be out there with a crane and a ball beating a building down,” he said. “We’re actually taking it down mechanically floor by floor.”
Workman will spray water during the demolition to minimize the amount of dust.
Once the south tower is down to 40 feet, a large PC-400 excavator will begin “munching” the building down, according to Rose.
The debris will be removed by five tractor trailer trucks about three times each day, according to Jerry Hughes, manager of the wrecking company.
Because of bridge weight restrictions, the route taken by the trucks will either be down Winterberry Drive and north on Landmark Street and east on San Marco, or Winterberry and north on Heathwood Drive to San Marco.
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