Eden Hospital Will be Torn Down Next Week

Opened in 1954, the iconic building will be deconstructed piece-by-piece using high-reaching excavator, the only one of its kind in North America. 

After serving the community for 58 years, the seven-story Eden Hospital building will be torn down starting Wednesday, July 10. Members of the media are invited for a front-row view of this historic moment, as crews use a Caterpillar 5110 excavator to reach more than 90 feet into the air and begin “chomping” away at the top level of the building. During the next 30 days or so, the excavator will work its way to the ground floor.

The demolition project—a process we call deconstruction because of the selective, targeted work involved and the recycling process—actually began as soon as operations and patient care activity moved into the new hospital, adjacent to the old building, on December 1, 2012.

First, all of the medical and office equipment and furniture was removed. Then, the abatement team went to work. Eden’s ripe old age means that there was a certain amount of hazardous material that needed to be removed and properly disposed of before we could begin demolishing and recycling the old materials. The abatement process took approximately six weeks.

Although the building is now clean of hazardous materials, an abatement specialist remains onsite everyday during the deconstruction, in case anything new is found. The demolition crew has also been specially trained to spot suspicious material

The deconstruction began on May 17, 2013 when the canopy over the old patient drop-off area was demolished. Since then, the attached structures around the main tower have been torn down, including the old emergency department, laboratory, imaging center and conference center. These structures were additions that were built onto the original tower over the decades.

When the deconstruction is finally completed, 100 percent of the concrete from the building will be ground down and used to fill in the basement level of the old building. So you could say, a little bit of Eden will remain forever! In addition, 100 percent of the metal and 95-98 percent of the rest of the infrastructure of the old building will be recycled.

Since the main road to the new hospital is just ten feet away from the old Eden, use of a wrecking ball or explosives just isn't safe. Safety is our main priority throughout the entire replacement hospital project. Special safety precautions were used to ensure that the hospital is removed safely and efficiently. 

In its 58-year history, about 80,000 babies were born at Eden! Countless surgeries, tests and medical procedures have saved lives, repaired injuries and inseparably linked Eden to the people of its community. Members of the community are also invited to stop by to witness this "end of an era.”  Visitors can safely view the deconstruction from the new healing garden next to the parking garage entrance.

Once the old hospital is gone the entire hillside will be graded to improve parking, and add landscape and new walking paths.