St. Petersburg Demolition: Making Way for the Bernie McCabe Courthouse

Bernie McCabe Courthouse Before Demolition

Downtown St. Petersburg is known for its walkability. Residents, commuters, and tourists are able to leave their car behind to walk to most activities, stores, and other amenities.

Nestled in the middle of the city is Mirror Lake Park, located in Pinellas County. This 10-acre lake used to be the center of city life. Slowly, the district became neglected, buildings aged poorly, and infrastructure investments were made in other parts of the city.

A growing need for a new courthouse presented an opportunity for revitalizing the area. After an extensive search, government officials decided to repurpose the site of the Sebring Building at 525 Mirror Lake Drive. This government building previously held multiple state departments, including the Department of Education and Health Department, and was owned and operated by the Florida Department of Management Services (Florida DMS).

The new courthouse will be named after the late Bernie McCabe, a former state prosecutor who served nearly three decades. The location, which is close to the Pinellas County Clerk of Court and various other government buildings, will position St. Petersburg as a legal hub for the Tampa Bay region and serve as a catalyst for redeveloping Mirror Lake.

Demolishing The Sebring Building

ISI Demolition was hired for a full-range of demolition services on the 80,625 square foot Sebring Building. Work included bringing down a five-story building and a one-story building to make way for the Bernie McCabe Courthouse project in St. Petersburg Florida.

Quick Facts

General Contractor: Skanska
Timing: August 2022 to February 2023
80,265 square feet building
Location: 525 Mirror Lake Drive N, St Petersburg, Florida

Pre Demolition photo of the Sebring Building in St Petersburg Florida

Sebring Building in St Petersburg Before Demolition

Partnerships Deliver Results for Florida Demolition Project

For each project, ISI Demolition partners with project engineers, project managers, trusted vendors, and contractors to develop clear pre-project planning goals that initiate the success of the overall project objectives.

The Sebring Building demolition in St. Petersburg was no exception:

Skanska was the general contractor on the project
Asbestos Abatement was performed by Cross Construction Services starting in August 2022.
ISI Demolition handled the interior soft strip, structural building demolition, and slab demolition.
Crisdel provided excavation and backfill

Demolition Speed Expedites Construction

With the project already facing numerous legislative delays, getting demolition completed as quickly as possible would provide tremendous value to the general contractor and other stakeholders. In one month, ISI Demolition brought down both buildings and removed all pile caps, piles, spread footings, and grade beams without incident.

“ISI has been an outstanding partner on multiple Projects and the teams have been great to work with! We look forward to working together on future Projects!”

Scott Davis
General Superintendent, Bernie McCabe Courthouse
Skanska

LEED-Qualified Demolition in Florida

This was a LEED project that required a LEED-Accredited professional on staff who was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Our team created a waste management diversion plan for five streams of material for recycling. This included concrete, copper wire, structural and miscellaneous steel, reinforcing concrete steel, and CMU. Going beyond the required recycling, our team also processed aluminum for extra environmental impact.

Blake Sheldon, ISI Demolition’s LEED Green Associate, compiled monthly reports and tracked recycling diversion throughout the project. The project goal required a diversion weight of 75% by weight. Our team exceeded this with a 76.4% diversion rate.

Sorting and Recycling to Protect the Environment

ISI Demolition takes protecting the environment seriously and is committed to doing our part to reduce our environmental impact. For this St. Petersburg demoiltion project, our team achieved a 76.4% diversion rate, including 2,377.33 tons of concrete.

Tons of Total Waste

Tons of Waste Diverted

%

Diversion Rate

Demolition Services Provided

PreConstruction Services

Our project managers and executives walked the site with the developer and carefully reviewed project drawings before finalizing the project sequence. This ensures the job is executed effectively and efficiently.

Building Razing

ISI Demolition removed two buildings at the future site of the Bernie McCabe Courthouse. Our team carefully dismantled the structures and sorted debris while maintaining a clean worksite.

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Salvage & Recycling

Loads of debris were removed daily from the job site and delivered to reclaimation partners for processing into new construction material and other uses.

Skilled Heavy Equipment Operators

Our team is skilled at handling a wide range of demolition equipment. We meticulously plan each step of the demolition process, carefully considering safety protocols and environmental concerns. Each worker is trained to skillfully navigate through complex structures and demolish structures with utmost accuracy. Through their vital role in the demolition process, our team directly contributes to transforming landscapes and shaping the urban environment.