The demolition of the former Haynes Tower Building on the A-B Tech Enka campus at 1459 Sand Hill Road in Candler began this week and is expected to continue through the summer. Buncombe County, which is responsible for A-B Tech facilities, bid on the project and contracted with DH Griffin Construction.
The nearly 97,000-square-foot building was vacated in December 2015 and has not been used since. The Technology Commercialization Center, located on the other side of the 37-acre A-B Tech Enka site, continues to house A- B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast, its Small Business Center and Incubation program, and multiple tenants.
“We regret to see this signature building, which has towered over A-B Tech Enka for more than five decades, removed,” said CFO/Vice President of Business and Finance Dirk Wilmoth. “However, it has outlived its usefulness to A-B Tech, having been vacant for nine years and beyond a reasonable cost of repair.”
Demolition of the Haynes Tower will be conducted in three phases:
- Phase 1: Careful removal of hazardous materials, which include asbestos and the chemically treated windows (underway)
- Phase 2: Demolition of the 48,300-square-feet, three-story section of the building (anticipated to begin in May)
- Phase 3: Demolition of the 48,695-square-feet, seven-story tower
There will be no explosive devices used in the demolition, which is expected to be completed in under six months. The contractor will use machinery to knock down the walls and remove all materials from the site. The majority of the building materials will be recycled and reused.
The weekly Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market and Goodwill truck located at A-B Tech Enka will be relocated to the other side of the property while the demolition project is underway.