Pedestrians and traffic cross the Truckee River in Reno, Nev., Tuesday, May 27, 2014, on the historic Virginia Street bridge. Built in 1905, demolition and reconstruction of the bridge has been postponed perhaps into next year due to a delay in federal permitting for a comprehensive flood control project. The bridge became legendary after it was portrayed by Hollywood and the news media as the site where people tossed wedding rings into the Truckee after securing divorces at the nearby courthouse. (AP Photo/By Scott Sonner).

RENO, Nev. (AP) A century-old bridge crossing the Truckee River in downtown Reno is going to be around a little longer than expected.

The historic Virginia Street Bridge's date with a wrecking ball has been postponed until at least late summer and perhaps into next year because of a delay in federal permitting for the Truckee River flood project.

Demolition and reconstruction of the bridge first built in 1905 is expected to cost $20 million. The work was scheduled to begin this spring.

But city civil engineer Kerri Lanza said they're still awaiting two necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hope now is to start by the end of the summer, but rising waters in the fall could force a delay into next spring.

"We'd like to get this going," she told the Reno Gazette-Journal (http://tinyurl.com/l2mjv6d).

The bridge became legendary after it was portrayed by Hollywood and the news media as the site where people tossed wedding rings into the Truckee after securing divorces at the nearby courthouse. But the aging bridge just south of the main casino district causes major problems during floods, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in 1997.

The double-arch concrete span acts as a bottleneck, capturing logs and other flood debris, and causing water to back up into the streets of downtown Reno.

Lanza said they are awaiting one permit needed to enter the river and the other to alter previously constructed flood walls. Essentially, Corps officials are reviewing hydraulic modeling to ensure as designed the Virginia Street Bridge project won't cause problems when constructed and damage already-constructed flood control features in the area, she said. She said she's confident the project's designers will prevail, needed permits will be issued and that the project will proceed as planned.

"It should have a beneficial impact," she said.

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Demolition delayed for historic Reno bridge

POSTED: Monday, May 26, 2014 - 7:46pm

UPDATED: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - 2:11pm

EL PASO (KTSM) Look out below.

Demolition crews have started tearing down five buildings along San Antonio Avenue in Downtown El Paso.

City Council gave River Oaks Properties the permits to take down the vacant structureslocated near theMesa Street intersection backin March.

As of Monday, most of one of the properties had already come down.

River Oaks has not said what may bein store for the land. Banners reaching out to potential developers have been posted in the area.

Because the buildings do not sitwithin a historical district, the demolition permits came with little resistance from the City.

Dr. Alex Grossman of El Paso County's Historical Commission said he wished some of the building's facades would have been spared.

"Now, we're going to look at gigantic and immense empty lot," Grossman told NewsChannel 9. "This action, this demolition, for us -- as preservationists -- represents the single greatest act of destruction in recent memory."

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Demolition of 5 buildings begins in Downtown El Paso

Groups say city demolition notification should be mandatory, not voluntary

Portlanders are organizing to fight a city proposal to encourage developers to voluntarily notify neighbors when a house is going to be demolished for an infill project.

Members of neighborhood association boards and neighborhood coalition offices say such notifications should always be mandatory for health and safety reasons. As an

example, they point to the recent demolition of an older Eastmoreland-area house that contained asbestos next to an elementary school that was started without state-required precautions.

DEQ rules require that all asbestos-containing materials be removed from structures before demolition and renovation work, says Kimberly Koehler, a member of the Land Use Committee of the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association.

Neighbors had not been notified of the demolition, but contacted the state Department of Environmental Quality after it started. The remodeling company, Classic Image Homes, says it did not know there was asbestos in the house across the street from Duniway Elementary School until being contacted by DEQ.

A subsequent inspection confirmed the presence of asbestos, which was then removed by workers in hazardous material suits, as required by DEQ rules. A DEQ investigation into the incident is underway.

The proposal to encourage voluntarily notification is being considered by the Development Review Advisory Committee, a 17-member appointed board that advises the citys Bureau of Development Services. A subcommittee of the group is drafting a proposal, which involves offering pre-printed door hangers to developers to be distributed to homes within 150 feet of houses scheduled to be demolished. The developers would not be required to distribute the fliers, however.

The proposal could be presented to the full advisory committee on June 19. Opponents are preparing to testify against it at the meeting. They include members of the boards of the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association and Southeast Uplift coalition office, who will offer alternative proposals. One would require inspections for hazardous materials including asbestos and lead paint before any house could be demolished. They also support mandatory neighbor notifications of all demolitions.

Infill issues take center stage

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New infill rule riles up neighbors

A demolition company owner who threatened to bring his guns to a meeting at the Otago Regional Council offices has been fined for illegally burning material which gives off highly toxic fumes.

Clearwaters Otago Ltd and its director John Robert James Clearwater (56) have been fined a total of $16,125 after attempting to ''cut costs'' by burning demolition waste on Mr Clearwater's farm in Allans Beach Rd on Otago Peninsula, instead of taking it to the city's landfill.

The company and Clearwater were each convicted on two charges brought by the Otago Regional Council; one for discharging contaminants to air on August 23, 2013, by burning materials containing heavy metals, that were painted and had other coatings or plastics, contravening the Regional Plan: Air for Otago and the National Environmental Standard.

The second charge was for discharging contaminants, such as demolition waste including painted timber, metals, plastics, insulation and wiring, contravening the Regional Plan: Waste.

In the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Environment Court Judge Brian Dwyer said Clearwater's actions were deliberate and planned as he was ''definitely'' aware of the rules which banned such burning.

''There was an element of defiance in the offending.''

An aggravating factor was the comment made over the phone to the enforcement officer that he would bring a gun to an interview at the council offices, even though the statement was later retracted, he said.

''The threat against a council officer doing his or her job is unacceptable to the court.''

A lack of up-to-date financial information on the company and Clearwater's own finances was concerning, Judge Dwyer said.

Further financial information was suppressed by the judge.

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Fined for burning toxic waste on farm

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- The Ellis Brothers Furniture Store was slowly torn down on Tuesday.

The demolition is the result of last month's fire that destroyed the building on Water Street. The owners had considered a possible rebuild, but were later told it had to be torn down.

One of the co-owners compared it to losing an old friend.

"There's a lot of family history here, but there comes a time. We've tried everything, we've had engineering reviews, structural reviews, financial reviews. Frankly it just isn't feasable and I don't believe possible to save the building in a correct manner," said Tom Ellis, a co-owner.

Ellis said they are unsure about whether or not they will rebuild at the same location, or relocate.

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Demolition continues at Ellis Brothers Furniture Store

Former Flying Frog Demolition Begins
A long-anticipated demolition project is underway in downtown Asheville. The old Flying Frog Restaurant on Haywood Street was the first building to go. It #39;s ...

By: WLOS News 13

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Former Flying Frog Demolition Begins - Video

Preparations Has Begun for the Demolition of the Old Hong Kong Restaurant in Tamuning

By: pncnews

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Preparations Has Begun for the Demolition of the Old Hong Kong Restaurant in Tamuning - Video

Demolition set for Easton #39;s beach building
Demolition is set to begin for the Easton #39;s Beach Building that was damaged in the fire.

By: WPRI

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Demolition set for Easton's beach building - Video

Historic home demolition on hold
Demolition has been put on hold for the historic home located at 617 New York St. in Lafayette.

By: WLFITV

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Historic home demolition on hold - Video

The Mickey Rivers "Demolition Derby" Story
Willie Randolph tells Keith the "demolition derby" story, involving Mickey Rivers #39; wife repeatedly ramming her Mercedes into his Cadillac in the Yankee Stadi...

By: Keith Olbermann

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The Mickey Rivers "Demolition Derby" Story - Video