Centennial Mills building demolished, rail traffic set to resume

The demolition of the burned-out Centennial Mills building is nearly complete. By 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, almost nothing remained of the disused flour mill but a pile of rubble.

Workers took down the building's iconic water tower on Monday, and made swift progress in the following hours.

"The rapid progress in the demolition of this building has been remarkable, and it is a credit to the skill and professionalism of the experts tasked with this responsibility," said Portland Permitting & Development Director Eric Kutch.

The main demolition contractor on this project, hired by the property owner, is Staton Companies, based in Eugene. Staton retained DetX, which has extensive experience with controlled demolitions using explosives, to conduct the controlled detonation of the water tower on Monday. The property owner also hired DCI Engineers to provide engineering support for the plans.

In light of the rapid progress, City officials today advised railroad operators that the building no longer poses a hazard to trains near the site.

"The danger posed by the building has been reduced so that there is no longer a threat to the railroads," said City Administrator Raymond C. Lee III in a letter to railroad operators Union Pacific, Amtrak, and BNSF Railway.

Built in 1910, the eight-story building was gutted by a four-alarm fire on Aug. 2 that destroyed the roof and all eight floors, leaving behind a charred shell at high risk of collapse.

The City established a safety perimeter around the site, and closed Northwest Naito Parkway and nearby Fields Park. The City asked rail operators not to run trains in the collapse zone, in case rumbling vibrations should trigger structural failure.

View full size image of Contractors clear rubble from the site of the Centennial Mills warehouse during demolition.

The demolition contractor, Staton Companies, successfully demolished the building's iconic water tower on Monday with controlled explosions. Since then the crew made rapid progress using a high-reach excavator, a giant mechanical arm that knocks down walls without the need for explosives. The arm can reach anywhere from 50 to more than 100 feet and connects to a powerful shear that cuts through iron and concrete like a pair of scissors.

The contractor has been working to reduce dust and airborne hazards, control erosion, and prevent runoff into the Willamette River.

Because asbestos-containing materials may remain at the site, the contractor will continue to monitor for their presence throughout the demolition. Any asbestos-containing materials identified will be handled and disposed of in accordance with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality requirements.

"The site remains dangerous, so it is important that people continue to stay away while crews work to finish the demolition safely and efficiently," Kutch said.

Once the unstable hazards have been removed, investigators will search for clues to the cause of the fire examine the area and conduct a forensic examination.

Two buildings once occupied the Centennial Mills site. The eight-story mill building was burned and is now demolished. The smaller warehouse, which once housed the mounted patrol, remains standing.

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