A Regional Opportunity to Promote Deconstruction 
		and Reuse of Building Materials at JFK Corporate quare 
 

		Grant Agreement No. X1982800-02-0  
		Fourth Quarter/Second Year Report to 
		EPA Region 2, Solid Waste Management Division 
 
				by 
		
		NY Wa$teMatch 
		A program of the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation 
 
 
 
 
ITAC contact information 

Primary: 				Secondary: 
Eileen Banaticla 		Lois Marsh, VP of Finance 
NY Wa$teMatch 			ITAC 
253 Broadway, Room 302 		253 Broadway, Room 302 
New York, NY 10007 		New York, NY 10007 
Tel: (212) 442-5219 		Tel: (212) 442-2990 
Fax: (212) 442-4567 		Fax: (212) 442-4567 
ebanaticla@itac.org 		lmarsh@itac.org 
www.wastematch.org 		www.itac.org 



A. Project Summary 

 Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Agreement No. X1982800-02-0, the New 
York City Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation (ITAC) is promoting 
deconstruction and building materials reuse in New York City. Through its NY 
Wa$teMatch program, ITAC has developed a deconstruction and building materials reuse 
plan for a building project as well as resources to help building professionals implement 
these waste-reducing practices. 
 The project originally sought to use Site 2 of the JFK Corporate Square development in 
Jamaica, Queens, as the site of a pilot project demonstrating deconstruction and building 
materials reuse. However, the developers of JFK Corporate Square withdrew from their 
commitment to the pilot project. NY Wa$teMatch has instead conducted the pilot project 
at the St. Francis of Assisi Venture, a joint development of the Durst Organization and 
Sidney Fetner Associates. 
 In this quarter, NY Wa$teMatch completed the final phase of the project by facilitating 
the deconstruction and salvaging of materials at the St. Francis of Assisi Venture site. NY 
Wa$teMatch's other activities included: 
 
	1. Assisting organizations in New York City that seek to establish a 
deconstruction crew, start deconstruction businesses, or otherwise foster the 
acceptance of deconstruction and building materials reuse and recycling. (See 
section B-2.) 

	2. Developing the Case Study on Deconstruction at the St. Francis of Assisi 
Complex. (See section B-3.) 

	3. Developing and distributing materials promoting deconstruction, building 
materials reuse and green building. (See section B-3.) 
 

B. Activities 
 
1. Project development 
On September 14, 2004, the Community Environmental Center (CEC) began 
deconstruction at the St. Francis of Assisi Venture site, which covers the following 
buildings: 125-127 and 129-131 W. 31st St., and 126-128, 130, and 132-134 W. 32nd St. 
Ten crew members worked on the site full-time for six weeks. Results of this project are 
documented in a case study (see Exhibit 3).  

  
2. Partnership development 
NY Wa$teMatch and the Community Environmental Center worked together to 
facilitate deconstruction at the St. Francis of Assisi Venture site. NY Wa$teMatch has 
been providing resources to help CEC in finding space and financial support for a reuse 
warehouse through outreach to other reuse groups, government agencies, LDCs, and 
contractors and developers. NY Wa$teMatch has also been promoting CEC's 
deconstruction services by referring companies interested in undertaking deconstruction 
projects to CEC. NY Wa$teMatch has also been assisting CEC in marketing the materials 
through its online Materials Exchange, outreach to other materials exchanges and outlets 
for salvaged building materials. 
 
3. Resource development 
In this quarter, NY Wa$teMatch distributed a request for proposals for printing 
the brochures that will be included in the marketing and education kit promoting 
deconstruction, building materials reuse and green building. (The RFP is included as Exhibit 2 to this 
report.) After reviewing the proposals, NY Wa$teMatch awarded the contract to Royalty 
Press, which submitted the lowest bid and was the only printer that was able to meet all 
printing requirements. 
 
The promotional kit has five components (see Exhibits 3-7). 
 
(1) Case Study on Deconstruction at the St. Francis of Assisi Venture Site  
(2) Guide to Deconstruction 
(3) Primer on Deconstruction and Building Materials Reuse  
(4) Building Materials Reuse Calculator 
(5) Trends in Green Building 
 

 Eileen Banaticla and Stefanie Feldman of NY Wa$teMatch coordinated the development 
of the brochures. These materials were printed using 100% recycled and 100% post-
consumer paper using soy ink. These kits will be distributed to organizations interested in 
establishing a deconstruction crew, starting deconstruction businesses, or learning about 
the environmental benefits of deconstruction and building materials reuse and recycling.  
Copies of the electronic and print versions of these materials are available from NY 
Wa$teMatch's Web site.  
  
 
C. Outreach & Education. These activities are performed as a service and are not 
included in the list of project deliverables.  
 
NY Wa$teMatch continued to serve as a resource to organizations and companies 
interested in learning more about deconstruction. 
 
NY Wa$teMatch shared information about its deconstruction workshops with 
Resource Venture, a program of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Resource Venture is 
scheduled to hold a deconstruction workshop in late October 2004 and requested tips and 
guides from NY Wa$teMatch on running the workshops, marketing and promotions, and 
documenting the event. 
 
NY Wa$teMatch provided materials on deconstruction and C&D waste recycling 
to EPA Region 2 for posting on the EPA website. These materials include the directory of 
C&D recycling companies in NYC, outlets for used building materials in NYC, guide to 
deconstruction, et al.  
 
NY Wa$teMatch also responded to a request for more information about 
deconstruction from the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, which is looking at the 
feasibility of performing deconstruction in one of its buildings in Brooklyn.  

   
D. Activities  

This is the last quarter of the grant and NY Wa$teMatch has satisfied all the deliverables 
required to complete the pilot project (see Exhibit 1).   
 
1. Project development 

 The pilot project has been completed and documented in a case study. (see Exhibit 3)   
 
 
2. Partnership development 

 NY Wa$teMatch will continue to assist the Community Environmental Center in placing 
the materials salvaged from the St. Francis of Assisi Venture site through the online 
Materials Exchange, other online exchanges, and other outlets of used building materials. 
It will also help to promote CEC's deconstruction service as well as other reuse 
businesses in NYC.  
 
3. Resource development 
NY Wa$teMatch prepared a marketing and education kit promoting 
deconstruction and green building in NYC. One of these materials is case study on 
deconstruction at the Francis of Assisi Venture site, which is the final deliverable to 
complete this project.  
 

Exhibit 1: List of project deliverables 
 
DELIVERABLE									STATUS

a) A workshop on the U.S. Green Building Council's 				Complete 
LEED standards for the coordinator and developer of JFK 
Corporate Square 
						

b) Two training workshops: one on incorporating 				Complete
deconstruction into requests for bids, and one on general 
deconstruction training 
 

c) A forum on deconstruction open to the public 				Complete 


d) A final document, for EPA and other interested parties, 
consisting of:  

 i) A set of recommendations for implementing 					Complete 
deconstruction into the development of JFK Corporate 
Square, including funding options available 

ii) A list of nonprofits and demolition contractors interested 			Complete 
in further deconstruction training 

iii) A list of end users by type (reuser, remanufacturer, 			Complete 
recycler) for the deconstructed and the construction waste 
material 

iv) An inventory of what materials should be sold/given 			Complete 
away for reuse, remanufacture and recycling 

v) A table of material categories and types of materials 			Complete 
rating their deconstructability and providing reuse options 
for each material type 

vi) A list of resources for used and green materials for free 			Complete 
and for a fee 

vii) A set of procedures for deconstruction firms to use for 			Complete 
reporting and compiling data on their environmental 
benefits, including a simple software tool 

e)    Case study on pilot project 						Complete 


 References to JFK Corporate Square have been held over from the proposal. The pilot 
deconstruction project will take place at the St. Francis of Assisi Venture. 




			REQUEST FOR PRINTING ESTIMATE 
			NY Wa$teMatch  
			Marketing Materials (Brochures and Envelope) 
 
Description of NY Wa$teMatch 
 NY Wa$teMatch (NYWM) is the materials exchange and waste reduction program of the 
Industrial & Technology Assistance Corporation (ITAC). The New York City Department of 
Sanitation and Empire State Development's Environmental Services Unit sponsor NYWM. Our 
services help businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and other organizations to realize lower 
disposal costs, increased revenues, and lower purchasing costs.  
 
Background 
 NYWM has been conducting a research and education project to promote the salvage and reuse 
of building materials. As part of this project, we will develop a marketing and education kit 
promoting deconstruction, green building and building materials reuse. 
 
Project Description 
 
NYWM seeks proposals to develop the marketing materials described above.  Below are 
specifications of these materials: 
 
JOB NAME 			Square Flap A-10 Envelope 			Brochure (5 versions) 

QUANTITY 			1,000   					(5 versions print as 300 each version) 

NO. PAGES 			Two sides 					Two sides 

SIZE				Envelope: A-10 (6 x 9.5) Square 		Brochure: 11 x 8.5 No bleeds
				Flap with side seams no bleeds 
										 
RECYCLED  			24# Genesis Milkweed vellum text 		80# Genesis Milkweed vellum Cover 
STOCK				

PREPRESS 			Electronic files supplied with all art and copy in position 

PROOF 				PDF proof supplied for each component . 

PRESSWORK 			Both pieces print PMS 3425 2 sides.  

BINDERY 			Trim and score. 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS 		Use Soy Ink.  

 
 	NYWM will provide: 
 Copy  
 Mechanicals/artwork 
 Layout 
 

Proposal Requirements 
 
Each proposal must include the following information: 
1. Estimated per  unit price and bulk price for printing envelope and  
2. Estimated cost to buy recycled stock (if specified stock is not available, please recommend 
a similar stock) 
3. Estimated shipping cost 
4. Date estimated completed  
5. In-house printing compatibility (can NY Wa$teMatch use an internal laser printer for 
additional copies?) 
 

NY Wa$teMatch will need to inspect proof before printing begins. 
 
Selection Criteria 
 NYWM will choose a consultant based on: 
 Quality of proposal 
 Sample Work 
 Estimated costs (printing and delivery) 
 Experience, especially on projects similar to this one 
 References 
 Willingness to be flexible during development 
 Acceptance of ITAC payment schedule 
 

Bidders should submit proposals to the contact at the location below.  
 
Proposal due:   	By 5:00 p.m. EST, August 11, 2004 
 
Contact:  	Eileen Banaticla 
    		NY Wa$teMatch/ITAC 
   		253 Broadway, Room 302 
   		New York, NY 10007 
   		Tel.: 212-442-5219 
   		Fax: 212-442-4567 
  		E-mail: ebanaticla@itac.org 
 
 ITAC provides disadvantaged-, minority-, and women-owned businesses with equal access to 
contracting opportunities. We encourage these firms to pursue this contract. Discrimination on the 
basis of race, religion, color, sex, or national origin is prohibited. 
 
Terms 
 The contract will be between ITAC and the consultant. The terms will include ITAC's standard 
terms and conditions and are not negotiable. A copy of ITAC's terms and conditions is attached. 
 The bid price includes all direct and indirect expenses incurred in completing the scope of work. 
Any additional expenses must be pre-authorized by ITAC representatives. 
 Unauthorized charges beyond the initial project budget will not be paid. Unauthorized delay in 
submission of deliverables may be penalized by $200 per day. ITAC may terminate the contract 
at its discretion. 
 The consultant may bill ITAC for 50% of the total contract value upon signing of the contract. 
The remaining 50% shall be billed upon completion of the job. ITAC will retain 10% of the total 
contract value until all work is certified as satisfactory by ITAC's Vice President of Finance. 
Invoices will be processed within 2-4 weeks. 


			Industrial & Technology Assistance Corporation 
			Standard Terms and Conditions of Consultant Agreement 
 
Consultant shall provide the technical services specified in accordance with the following terms and 
conditions: 

1. Coverage. Consultant agrees that he/she and all his/her employees and subcontractors will be bound by the 
provisions of the contract, including, without limitation, with regard to elements of confidentiality and intellectual 
property. 

2. Confidentiality. It is understood by Consultant that during the course of the agreement certain confidential and 
proprietary information may be made known for the purposes of fulfilling the agreement deliverables. The term 
'Confidential Information' shall include, without limitation, any and all trade secrets, business methods, business 
records and files, computer programs, customer and supplier lists, product specifications, drawings and prototypes, 
price lists, reports, or other confidential or proprietary information of any type or description, with respect to a 
party hereto, without regard to the form in which it is retained. All confidential written or electronic information 
will be clearly marked and identified as confidential by Consultant or ITAC. Consultant agrees, on their behalf 
and on behalf of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, distributors and their representatives, not to 
communicate, divulge, or use for the benefit of any individual or entity whatsoever, any Confidential Information 
obtained by one regarding the other without the express written consent of the other party hereto, except as 
required pursuant to applicable federal and state sunshine laws and open records acts, or as otherwise compelled 
by legal process. All written confidential information will be returned to the company at the close of the project. 

3. Intellectual Property Rights. Subject to all applicable laws, statutes, rules, and regulations of any governmental or 
quasigovernmental authority having jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, 37 C.F.R. Part 401, Company shall 
retain all right, title, and interest throughout the world in each invention, discovery, or copyrightable material that 
is derived through or in connection with this Agreement and that is or may be patentable or otherwise protectable 
under Title 35 of the United States Code. Consultant shall disclose all inventions and improvements in its project 
reports to ITAC and they become the sole property of ITAC. 

4. Record Keeping. Consultant agrees to keep complete financial and technical records of progress made on the 
project and to present a summary of the records to ITAC upon request. 

5. Indemnification. Consultant shall be solely responsible for and shall save, defend, indemnify, and hold the ITAC 
and its directors, officers, employees, agents and affiliated companies free and harmless from and against any and 
all claims, expenses, damages, lawsuits, or other liabilities (including without limitation, reasonable attorney's 
fees and court costs) arising from the breach by the indemnifying party or any of the terms or provisions of this 
Agreement, or from the actions of the Consultant, his agents and employees. 

6. Changes to Agreement. Any changes in the Agreement will be made only upon mutual agreement of the parties and 
will be evidenced by a written agreement executed by both parties. 

7. Implementation. The implementation of any advice or products provided by Consultant will be in the sole 
discretion of ITAC.  

8. Waiver. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be implied from any course of dealing between the 
parties hereto or from any failure by either party hereto to assert one or more of its rights hereunder on any 
occasion or series of occasions. No exercise or partial exercise of any right hereunder shall preclude any other or 
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right. 

9. Compliance with Laws. Consultant agrees to comply with and this Agreement shall be subject to and governed by 
all applicable laws, statutes, rules, regulations, directives, circulars, and the like, of the United States, including, 
without limitation, those prohibiting discrimination, ensuring a drug free workplace, protecting persons affected 
by disabilities, and preserving civil rights of all affected persons.  ITAC and the Consultant further agree not to 
take any action in the name of or otherwise on behalf of the other party which would violate applicable laws or 
government regulations 

10. Binding Effect/Third Parties. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties, their 
successors and assigns, but shall not be assignable by Consultant.  

11. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties for the Services and there 
are no other agreements between the parties for the Services.  

12. Force Majeure. Whenever a period of time is prescribed herein for the taking of any action by Consultant. 
Consultant shall not be liable or responsible for, and there shall be excluded from the computation of such period 
of time, any delays due to flood, drought, earthquake, storm, fire, pestilence, lightening and other natural 
catastrophes, epidemic, war, riot, civil disturbance or disobedience, strike, labor dispute, or sabotage, or any order 
or injunction made by a court or public agency or, governmental laws, regulations, or restrictions, or any other 
cause whatsoever beyond the control of Consultant. 

13. Choice of Law. THE AGREEMENT IS MADE AND ENTERED INTO AND SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND 
CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS 
OF LAW, AS THE SAME MAY BE IN EFFECT. 



				Deconstruction  Building Disassembly and Materials Salvage: 
					the St. Francis of Assisi Complex Case Study 
 
 
 
 						Prepared for: 
						U.S. EPA Region 2 
						Solid Waste Management Division 
 
 
						Grant Agreement No. X1982800-02-0 
 
 
								By: 
						NY Wa$teMatch 
						A Program of the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation 
 
						253 Broadway, Room 302 
						New York, NY 10007 
 
 						October 2004 
 
 
 
 
About ITAC and NY Wa$teMatch 
 
ITAC is a not-for-profit organization that provides consulting, technical and 
business assistance services to the manufacturing and technology sectors of 
New York City.  Started in 1987, ITAC's mission is to strengthen the economy of 
New York City by improving the performance of small to mid-sized firms that 
create or produce technical and manufactured goods. ITAC has an accomplished 
track record of successfully serving more than 1,400 companies with over 1,600 
projects. ITAC is the New York State designated Regional Technology 
Development Center for New York City, and is part of the National Institute of 
Science and Technology funded Manufacturing Extension Partnership.  
 
ITAC has operated the NY Wa$teMatch program, a materials exchange for New 
York City, since its inception over five years ago. Funding for the program is 
provided by The City of New York Department of Sanitation's Bureau of Waste 
Prevention Reuse and Recycling and the New Empire State Development's 
Environmental Services Unit. The mission of NY Wa$teMatch is to foster 
environmentally sound economic development through innovative solid waste 
reduction and resource recovery strategies. Our materials management services, 
in addition to our education and research and development projects, merge 
environmental responsibility with sensible business practices, guiding New York's 
businesses towards a sustainable future. We run a citywide materials exchange 
as an alternative means of managing a large portion of NYC's recoverable 
commercial solid waste. 
 
 
Acknowledgments 
 
We gratefully acknowledge those who shared their time, expertise, ideas, 
materials, and insights on deconstruction, green buildings and building materials 
reuse: Jim Primdahl of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Amy Baumann of 
greenGoat, Robert Ricketson and Sherman Plumley of ReCycle North, Nicole Tai 
of ReUse Alliance, Wayne Tusa, Pamela Lippe, Justin Green, and the 
Community Environmental Center and its deconstruction crew. 
 
We also recognize the support provided by U.S. EPA Region 2 especially 
Lorraine Graves and Kimiko Link, and Department of Sanitation of NY for its 
general support of the program. 
 
Summary 
 
With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 2 office, 
NY Wa$teMatch is promoting the recovery and reuse of building materials in 
New York City through deconstruction. The program's goals are to reduce the 
amount of landfill waste from construction and demolition and to encourage the 
development of new businesses that salvage, refurbish, and sell reusable 
building materials.  
 
The program focuses on deconstruction as an environmentally and financially 
preferable alternative to conventional demolition. Deconstruction is the process 
of dismantling old buildings in order to recover the materials for reuse. Unlike 
demolition, which generates waste that is only fit to be landfilled or recycled, 
deconstruction produces materials that can be used again or remanufactured into 
higher-value goods. Real estate developers can realize lower costs by specifying 
deconstruction on their projects, and contractors can gain a competitive edge by 
salvaging and selling materials rather than throwing them away. 
 
The St. Francis of Assisi pilot project proved that deconstruction can be a viable 
complement to demolition. Deconstruction reduces the amount of construction 
that must be disposed of in landfill. The project diverted over 36 tons* (based on 
partial results) of construction materials from landfill. Deconstruction is labor 
intensive, relying primarily on the use of hand tools and manual power to take 
buildings apart. While it takes longer than traditional demolition, deconstruction 
brings significant social, economic, and environmental benefits. It opens job 
training opportunities and creates jobs for unskilled workers. It yields reusable 
building materials instead of waste thus opening an opportunity to create a new 
business for a local nonprofit organization.  
 
It is not possible for a single case study to document all the issues associated 
with deconstruction and building materials reuse. Each project presents a unique 
set of challenges. This study was designed to address the issues facing 
commercial structures in constricted spaces in NYC.   
 
Background of the St. Francis of Assisi Pilot 
 
In 2002, NY Wa$teMatch implemented a pilot project at the St. Francis of Assisi 
Complex to demonstrate the viability of deconstruction as a means to promote 
the recovery and reuse of building materials in NYC. According to the NYC 
Department of Sanitation, C&D waste accounts for more than 60% of the solid 
waste stream (NYC DDC Construction and Demolition Waste Manual, 2003). 
With lack of landfill space and limited resources for recycling construction and 
demolition waste materials, NYC needs an alternative to traditional methods of 
handling these kinds of debris.  
 
NY Wa$teMatch worked with the Durst Organization, Gotham Construction, E4, 
and the Community Environmental Center to deconstruct buildings at the St. 
Francis of Assisi Complex at W 31st and W 32nd Streets. The project was funded 
through a grant from U.S. EPA Region 2.  
 
The overall purpose of the pilot deconstruction was to demonstrate the feasibility 
of deconstruction and to gain practical experience in financing, contracting and 
implementing a deconstruction project in NYC. In addition, NY Wa$teMatch 
proposed to identify local non-profit organizations interested in developing a 
deconstruction business in order to demonstrate the benefits of deconstruction 
as a revenue source and a job training opportunity.  
 
During preliminary building review at the St. Francis of Assisi Complex, NY 
Wa$teMatch hired a consultant to perform a to catalog the building materials 
available, estimate the fair market value of salvageable materials, estimate the 
costs and savings associated with deconstruction and salvage, estimate overall 
landfill diversion rate and to outline the steps involved in planning and 
implementing sustainable management of demolition waste, along with the 
responsibilities of different parties working on the project. 
 
The initial assessment indicated that the salvageable building materials at the 
project site have a fair market value* of about $270,000. (Fair market value is 
based on a retail price). The consultant estimated about 20% more man-hours 
during deconstruction compared to conventional demolition because it involves 
more manual labor as compared to traditional demolition jobs. Overall landfill 
diversion rate was estimated at as much as 85% of total demolition waste by 
weight. The revenues and tax deductions that the developers will earn from the 
project, plus the reductions in waste disposal costs and diversion from landfill 
created a strong argument to recommend deconstruction at the St. Francis of 
Assisi Complex.  
 
Case Study Site Description 
 
The St. Francis of Assisi Complex runs from 31st Street to 32nd Street, located 
mid-block between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. West of 
the site is a lot containing the existing Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. The 
Durst Organization purchased the complex from the Archdiocese to build a multi-
unit residential apartment/dormitory tower. The project is seeking a Leadership in 
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green 
Building Council and is expected to be completed in 2006. 
 
 
Table 1. St. Francis of Assisi Complex Building Descriptions 

Location 				Size 					Description / Structural Components 

125-127 W. 31st St.		2-story;9,621 gross square feet 	Built in 1930. The structure is 
									primarily masonry and wood 
									and the exterior facing is stucco. 
									The first floor houses a meeting room; 
									the second floor, office space.  

129-131 W. 31st St. 		6-story; 25,628 gross square feet 	Built in 1920. The structure 
									is primarily masonry and 
									wood. The front elevation 
									is light brick with sandstone 
									slabs above and below the 
									windows. The side and 
									rear elevations are 
									standard brick. The ground 
									floor houses a former 
									bookstore. The bottom two 
									floors contain office space. 
									The upper floors contain 
									dormitory rooms and a 
									chapel on the third floor.  
 

126-128 W. 32nd St. 		3-story; 14,314 gross square feet 	Built in 1920. The structure 
									is primarily masonry and 
									wood. The first floor 
									contains a pizza parlor and 
									two stores. Newly 
									renovated office space 
									takes up the top two floors. 
 
 130 W. 32nd St. 		4-story; 6,637 gross square feet 	Built in 1920. The structure 
									is primarily masonry and 
									wood. The first two floors 
									house a seating area for 
									the Harp Bar & Restaurant 
									and a kitchen at the back 
									of the building. 
 
132-134 W. 32nd St. 		6-story; 27,612 gross square feet	Built in 1921. The structure 
									is primarily masonry and 
									wood. The bar and lounge 
									of the Harp Bar & 
									Restaurant and a store 
									called Willoughby's occupy 
									the first floor. Office space 
									takes up the upper five 
									floors. Most of the 
									building's exterior is 
									finished with brick of good 
									quality. 
 

Photo 1. Front Elevation of the 6-Story Building at 134 W 32nd St.
Photo 2. Corridor in the 6-Story Dormitory 



     
   
 



Photo 3. Harp Bar & Restaurant at 132 W 32nd St..                                                     
Photo 4. Pizza restaurant in 3-story at 126 W 32nd St. 



   
   
 
 
Photo 5. Deconstruction workers denailing wooden floorboards (5a) and removing 
lighting fixtures (5b) from Harp Bar & Restaurant at 132 W 32nd Street. 
5a         5b 
   
   
 
 
Through the numerous tasks involved in this deconstruction project, CEC 
developed the following skills: 
 
 Structural takedown (extraction of building elements)  
 Separation of materials into categories: recyclable, needs reworking, 
reusable as is, and trash 
 Preparation of reusable materials (wood denailing; removal of fasteners, 
bolts, locks; cleaning, bundling, and covering)  
 Transportation and Warehouse of salvaged materials 
 Use of tools, familiarity with various building materials, fasteners and joinery, 
construction sequence, and jobsite safety 
 

Quantities of Salvaged Building Materials 
 
Tables 2 and 3 give quantities of salvaged and recycled materials from the St. 
Francis of Assisi Complex.   

Table 3. Quantities of Materials Salvaged for Reuse from the St. Francis of Assisi 
Complex (partial results) 
 
Materials 			Units	Weight 	Total 		Volume	Total 
						weight			Volume  		

Ceiling Tiles (126 		2600	1.1	2860		0.14 	364.00
W. 32nd St) in sq. 
ft. removed and 
packed into boxes 

Sinks - Bathroom: 		23	45.0	1035		2.00 	46.00
capped and 
removed 

Sinks - Kitchen:		3 	25.0	75		2.50	7.50
capped and 
removed 

Tiles - Bathroom: 		3600	0.4	1400		0.01 	36.00
chiseled from 
bathroom walls 

Bathroom 			3	25.0	75		2.00	6.00 
vanities: removed 
and packed 

Furniture - 			25	55.0	1375		12.00	300.00 
Bookshelves 

Radiator covers - 		7	25.0	175		6.00 	42.00	
wood 

Wood floor (in sq		1509 	2.5	3773		0.10 	150.90
ft): removed, 
denailed, and 
wrapped in units 
of 9 

Furniture - 			3	75.0	225		18.00 	54.00
Cabinets 

Wood - Rough			32	10.0	320		0.56	17.78  
cut(1"*10"*8'): 
removed from 
wall and denailed 

Wood - MDF			9	22.0	198		0.67	6.00  
(1"*12"*8) 


Shutters - sets of 		21	25.0	525		2.00 	42.00	
4 

Wood - shelves 			142	3.0	426		0.25 	35.50
for bookshelves 

Wood - closet			93	7.0 	651		0.50	46.50 
shelves and 
doors (misc. 
plywood avg. 
2'*3'): removed 
from closets and 
denailed 

Doors - steel: 			2	75.0	150		3.00 	6.00
hardware and 
hinges removed 

Doors  hollow 			34	25.0	850		3.00 	102.00
core: hardware 
and hinges 
removed, where 
possible frame 
also removed 

Doors - solid 			48	65.0	3120		3.00	144.00 
core: hardware 
and hinges 
removed, where 
possible frame 
also removed 

Doors - sliding			34	40.0 	1360		6.00 	204.00
and louvered 
(most in sets of 2)  

Door closers 			11	8.0	88		0.30 	3.30


Door hinges 			522	0.5	261		0.05	26.10

Door knobs 			174	0.5	87		0.05	8.70 

Door - steel bucks		18 	35.0	630		2.67 	48.00

Door Panic Bar			11 	10.0	110		0.18	1.95 

Vent Covers 			13	8.0	104		1.33	17.33 	

Vents - small 			13	4.0	52		0.26	3.37 

Fans: 				16	17.0	272		1.28	20.56 
disconnected, 
capped and 
packed 

Lights (misc			39	4.0 	156		0.50	19.50 
incandescent): 
disconnected, 
capped and 
packed 

Lights - Canned			17	3.0	51		0.75	12.75  
track lighting 

Cans of sidewalk 		6	100.0	600		6.00	36.00 
salt 

Doors - bifold 			4	25.0	100		3.00	12.00 

Doors - solid, 			39	65.0	2535		3.00	117.00 
painted 

Door - closet 			16	4.0	64		0.50	8.00 
tracks 

Door - steel 			1	75.0	75		3.00	3.00 

Furniture - 			5	35.0	175		3.50	17.50 
headboards 

Furniture - chairs		9	25.0	225		4.00 	36.00 

Furniture - desks		4 	225.0	900		30.00	120.00 

Wooden handrails 		4	8.0	32		1.00 	4.00

Furniture - 			2	30.0	60		8.00	16.00 
Computer desk 

Furniture - wood 		2	200.0	400		10.00	20.00 
cabinets 

Kitchen cabinets		2	75.0 	150		6.00	12.00

Exit lights 			9	7.0	63		0.25 	2.25

Furniture - 			4	55.0	220		16.00	64.00 
bookshelves 

File cabinets			11 	95.0	1045		20.00	220.00 

Furniture - metal 		1	35.0	35		20.00 	20.00
cabinet 

Office supplies - 		8	2.0	16		1.50 	12.00
boxes of packing 
envelopes 

Bathroom vanities		11 	25.0	275		0.75	8.25 

Office supplies - 		7	35.0	245		1.50 	10.50
boxes of hanging 
folders 

Office supplies - 		4	5.0	20		1.50	6.00 
boxes of 
notebooks 

Steel shelves			14	65.0 	910		18.00	252.00 

Kitchen cabinets 		8	75.0	600		10.00 	80.00

Doors - doors and 		14	70.0	980		3.00	42.00 
frames 

Vents 				15	8.0	120		1.00	15.00 

Lights 				31	1.0	31		0.25 	7.75

Wood flooring sq 		1600	2.5	4000		0.10	160.00 
ft (from bar) 

Furniture - chairs		12 	25.0	300		4.00	48.00

Stove 				1	200.0	200		12.00	12.00 

Wood paneling 			1120	1.5	1680		0.10 	112.00
and trim (approx 
sq ft 4' high by 
280' of wall) 

Wood flooring 			1818	2.5	4545		0.10 	181.82

Furniture - Desks		3	225.0	675		30.00	90.00  

Furniture - Chairs 		3	25.0	75		4.00	12.00 

Door - wood 			1	75.0	75		3.00	3.00 

AC 				1	55.0	55		2.00	2.00 

Vacuums 			2	5.0	10		1.50 	3.00

Water Bottles			21 	1.0	21		1.50 	31.50
returned to 
Poland Springs 

Refrigerator 			1	25.0	25		12.0 	12.00

Fire extinguishers		2 	10.0	20		1.0 	2.00

Frames, Camera 			4	250.0	1000		36.00	144.00 
bags, paper, 
envelopes, 
foamboard, cd 
players, 
microphones (4 
carts - 36 cubic 
feet each) 

Total 		Salvage weight 		42,961		Salvage volume	3,726
		in lbs 					in cubic feet 		  


 		Salvage weight in	21.5 		Salvage volume	138
		tons 					in cubic yards 

  

Table 4. Quantities of Materials Recycled from the St. Francis of Assisi Complex 
(partial results) 

Paper 				362	35.0	12670		1.50 	543.00
recycling 
(boxes of 
paper) 

Ceiling Tiles - 		15000	1.1	16500		0.14 	2100.00
in sq ft nearly 
all recyclable 
tiles from all 
buildings 
(Removed 
Oct. 19) 


Total 		Recycling 	29,170		Recycling volume	2,643 
		weight in lbs			in cubic feet 

		Recycling 			Recycling volume 	97.9
		weight in tons	14.6		in cubic yards 

 

Photo 6. Salvaged ceiling tiles from 132 W 32nd Street. The broken tiles 
were picked up by Armstrong for recycling. 
  
 
Table 5. Total Quantities of Materials Diverted from Landfill from the St. Francis of 
Assisi Complex (partial results) 

Diverted Weight  		72,131		Diverted Volume  	6,369	
n Lbs. 						in Cubic Feet 

Diverted Weight  		36.1		Diverted Volume 	236
in Tons 					in Cubic Yards

 
Note: Cubic footage was based on salvaged cubic footage. If the 
materials were broken down for landfill, in some cases they 
would take up less cubic space. 
 

Lessons Learned 
 
The St. Francis of Assisi Venture deconstruction project resulted in several 
important lessons about future deconstruction and building materials reuse in 
NYC. 
 
 Get everyone behind the project.  

It is important to get the support of management, demolition contractors, local 
city agencies and organizations, and funding sources. 
  
 Prepare a good business development plan.  To make deconstruction viable in 
NYC in the long-term, there must be a building materials reuse center with 
adequate space. The economic and social benefits of deconstruction cannot 
be fully realized without a reuse center 

The project had hoped to secure additional funding to open a building materials 
reuse center during its early phase. One of the difficulties faced by CEC was the 
lack of its own reuse center for storing and selling the salvaged materials. This 
limited CEC from accepting other deconstruction jobs, or receiving big donations 
of building materials from other construction projects.  
 
Based on the experience of other salvage and reuse operations, a reuse center 
should have a 25,000-sq-ft area with a mix of indoor and outdoor space, have 
street access for retail customers, and a loading dock where donors and 
recipients can conveniently deliver or pick up materials.  
 
 Provide sufficient time for worker education and on-site training. 
 

Based on the initial building survey at the St. Francis of Assisi Complex, the 
consultant recommended a two-week intensive training program for 
deconstruction crew members to equip them the necessary skills required to run 
an efficient salvaging operation in a large-scale building removal. CEC's 
deconstruction workers only received 2 days of training. While the workshop 
covered the basic skills and techniques necessary for crew members to operate 
a salvage operation, there was not enough time to demonstrate salvage 
techniques for a wide variety of building materials. There was also not enough 
time for crew members to get hands-on training.  
 
 Remain flexible and expect hidden conditions.  
 

There were difficulties associated with the long timelines involved in getting the 
deconstruction crew to the job site. Issues in the negotiations between the 
developer and the property owners resulted in extensive, unplanned delays. This 
affected the schedule and availability of deconstruction workers and the amount 
of time the deconstruction workers were able to salvage materials from the site.  
 
 Ensure contracts clearly delineate contractor requirements for deconstruction  
and recycling efforts.  Should add something about who owns materials: Harp 
Bar may have owned the materials that the liquidator took so there was no 
obligation for it to be part of the deconstruction project. 
 

It is important to have a clear agreement from the outset of the division of 
ownership of salvageable materials. At Harp Bar and Restaurant, a liquidation 
company had already taken out some items from the location weeks before CEC 
was allowed into the site. 
 
 Allow plenty of time for general market research and development. 
 
 Educate the public about the benefits of your project. 
 
 
 
Appendix 
 
Related Studies 
 
In September 2002, NY Wa$teMatch prepared a report on the development of 
deconstruction and green building at JFK Corporate Square in Jamaica, Queens, 
to illustrate how deconstruction and green building can be viable alternatives to 
traditional practices of disposing C&D waste.  The report provides 
recommendations to project stakeholders, the developers of JFK Corporate 
Square and Polytechnic University, on handling construction debris.  The report 
includes material recovery options specific to the JFK Corporate Square and 
general deconstruction guidelines to aid the developers in making informed 
decisions about the demolition of the existing buildings and the design of new 
buildings.  The project indicates that deconstruction methods are especially 
appropriate for JFK Corporate Square buildings, and other NYC buildings, where 
demolition is often done by hand because of the space restrictions which prevent 
large pieces of equipment from doing the bulk of the work.  Thus, the potential for 
materials recovery through deconstruction is high and the incorporation of the 
low-tech methods used during deconstruction can be easily adopted by existing 
demolition contractors.   
 
This report includes a list of building materials that can be reused, recycled or 
remanufactured, and in the local New York area and in the region. It also 
includes a list of those companies which currently take or buy such materials, 
with details on the specifications, quantity, and transportation requirements. This 
report is available from NY Wa$teMatch. 
 
 
Working with Local Nonprofit Organizations 
 
Throughout the course of the project, NY Wa$teMatch identified three 
organizations interested in starting a deconstruction business: Community 
Environmental Center, Green Workers Cooperatives, and the Greater New York 
Laborers' - Employers' Cooperation & Education Trust.  
 
Table 2. Local Organizations Interested in Starting a Deconstruction 
and Building Materials Reuse Business in NYC. 

Organization 								
Community Environmental Center 						
							
Address 
43-10 11th St.
Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: 718-784-1444  
www.cecenter.org 

Contacts 
Richard M. Cherry, President
Sean Neill, Director 
Justin Green, Consultant 
jgreen@cecenter.org 


Community Environmental Center (CEC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides energy, building 
performance and environmental services for residents in the New York metropolitan area. It's mission is to 
assist people throughout the New York metropolitan area in achieving a healthier, more affordable life by 
improving their home and community environments with educational and technical assistance services.   
CEC is in the forefront of advanced building energy performance technologies and services which provides 
cost-effective, energy saving retrofit implementation and management. It works to address those 
environmental problems which undermine the health and well being of people, the affordability and 
sustainability of housing, and the development of local economies in New York City. It runs two state-of-the-
art Learning Centers to keep communities informed on these topics and more.   
Green Worker Cooperatives 
 
889 Hunts Point Avenue 
Bronx, NY 10474 
Phone: 718-617-4668 
 
Omar Freilla, Director  
E-mail: omarfreilla@ssbx.org 
 
 
Green Worker Cooperatives (GWC) is dedicated to economic and environmental justice through the creation 
of worker-owned and environmentally friendly manufacturing businesses in the South Bronx. Its first 
cooperative, the Building Materials Reuse Center, will offer services to  salvage building materials from 
construction and demolition projects  keeping them out of the landfill and keeping resources in the local 
neighborhoods. 
 
Greater New York Laborers' - 
Employers' Cooperation & 
Education Trust 
266 W. 37th St. 
New York, NY 10018 
Phone: 212-452-9300 
 
Joe Cestaro, Field Coordinator 
 
 
Greater New York Laborers - Employers Cooperation & Education Trust (GNYLECET) is a partnership 
between the 15,000 members of the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York & Long Island and 
its 1,800 signatory contractors. Through this partnership between labor and management, GNY LECET 
works to facilitate an increase union market share, which creates opportunities for employers and jobs for the 
highly trained, skilled membership. 
 

 
NY Wa$teMatch worked with CEC in facilitating deconstruction 
at the St. Francis of Assisi Complex. Prior to this project, CEC 
submitted a bid for the salvaging of materials at One Bryant Park 
which is another project of the Durst Organization. CEC did not 
win the bid to perform deconstruction and salvaging, but it 
received the non-architectural building materials harvested from 
the site.   
 

Funding Possibilities 
 
Green guidelines such as the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in 
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards recognize the 
value of deconstruction and building materials reuse. NYC green construction 
projects can earn LEED points for integrating material recovery and using 
salvaged or refurbished materials. The New York City Department of Design and 
Construction (DDC) also developed High Performance Building Guidelines as a 
means of introducing sustainable practices to DDC projects. 
 
There are 76 registered projects seeking LEED ratings in NYC. At least six of 
these are public or government-funded projects. The rest are commercial and 
residential multi-story structures owned by real estate developers committed to 
environmentally responsible architecture. These developers are constantly 
investing to achieve and promote green construction. Ideally, these companies 
have the financial resources to fund or support deconstruction and green building 
initiatives in NYC. 
 
 
Job Creation and Skills Development Opportunities 
 
Community Environmental Center is a nonprofit group that provides cost-
effective, energy saving retrofit implementation and managements services to 
low-income housing in NYC. Its workers are highly-competent and trained to 
provide energy conservation and building retrofit services. Deconstruction at the 
St. Francis of Assisi Complex opened opportunities for CEC workers to develop 
deconstruction skills. These skills would be valuable as CEC works to increase 
the scope of its services, and to develop its own deconstruction and building 
materials reuse business. The workers' deconstruction skills should naturally 
increase in response to the growth of a market for salvaged materials.  
 
The pilot project provided full-time work for 10 Community Environmental Center 
workers for six weeks. Despite the large interval from the time the workers 
received training to actual deconstruction, the workers showed a good aptitude 
for applying the techniques they learned during the workshops. Workers with a 
background in construction trades were more intuitive in performing tasks and 
progressed to taking on more responsibility in the job site during the course of 
the project.