Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DECONSTRUCTION
DECONSTRUCTION. Deconstruction in the field of building refers to the manner of taking down, rather than demolishing a building, in a safe manner and then taking the salvaged materials and repurposing them.
One of the major businesses locally in the effort was Fitzgerald Reconstruction & Reuse owned by Kyle Fitzgerald. Among his projects around 2020 were the restoration of one building and deconstructing another at the BLUM COMPANY. He deconstructed a home for Habitat for Humanity and was hired by the GRONEN PROPERTIES/GRONEN RESTORATION as a consultant for renovations to the former Voices building in the MILLWORK DISTRICT REVITALIZATION which was planned as the operations center for DUPACO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION.
The Fitzgerald company was also involved in repurposing timbers from FLEXSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC. buildings on Jackson Street. In November, 2020 an estimated 1.2 million pounds of wood had been salvaged. In the process, nails are removed and the wood is prepared for the sawmill. Lumber harvested which would have ended up in the local landfill was sold throughout Dubuque and the nation as flooring.
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Source:
Mehl, Annie, "'Mining the Value of Demolition,'" Telegraph Herald, November 8, 2020, p. 1E
