Work to take down sections of former hospital ungoing

     FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Final interior work to take down two sections of the Community General Hospital in Fort Fairfield is progressing this week, and TAMC and town officials expect county contractor Soderberg Construction, which submitted the project low bid, will likely begin exterior demolition sometime next week.
The final and most visible phase of the project follows several weeks of work by TAMC employees and extensive work completed by a local firm to remove a considerable amount of asbestos from the facility. The decision to take down the two unused sections of the building followed a concerted effort by Fort Fairfield community leaders and TAMC to identify a good reuse option. Numerous options were discussed and community input and suggestions for re-use were publicly sought, but none found to be viable or cost-effective.
The Community General Hospital facility sits on a 2.5-acre site with frontage on Route 161 and Green and Brown streets. The sections of the building to be taken down are the original 22,800 square foot, two-story (with basement) CGH completed in 1950, and an 8,780 square foot, one-story addition (with basement) constructed in 1971 to house provider office space. Another 19,400 square foot, one-story (with basement) addition, which currently houses TAMC’s Fort Fairfield Health Center, will be preserved and continue to function in its current capacity. A new end wall will be constructed where this 1961 section meets the original 1950 building.
“We have had a demolition work plan developed by a licensed asbestos consultant, and then reviewed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for compliance with the applicable regulations. MDEP has approved this work plan,” said James McKenney TAMC vice president of support services.
To date, all of the friable asbestos has been abated from the building. This has included several types of flooring, pipe insulation, boiler gaskets, ceiling tiles, adhesives, roof patch, and window caulking. The material was removed by a licensed abatement company and hauled to an out-of-state secure landfill.
The only form of asbestos left in the building is a black tar coating on the inside face of the bricks, which will be buried on-site within the existing foundations. The asbestos is securely bound in the tar coating and will pose minimal risk during demolition.
To ensure public safety, TAMC has hired a certified air monitor to take air samples to ensure that no fibers leave the site. Prior to demolition, a fenced or barricaded perimeter will be established around the site. During demolition, water will be continuously sprayed on the building to eliminate any dust.
After the debris is sorted, the bricks will be mixed with soil and placed in the foundation hole. The material will be covered with soil nightly. When all of the brick material has been placed, orange safety fence will be used to cover the area to identify in the future where the bricks are buried, and then not less than a foot of additional soil will cover the debris. The site has been surveyed and a plan will be recorded in the registry of deeds to indicate exactly where the bricks are buried.
“We expect that work times will be between 7 a.m.-5 p.m. No work is planned during the evening or nighttime hours,” said McKenney. “TAMC’s Fort Fairfield Health Center will remain open and scheduled patient appointments will be honored through the site work.”
Parking and traffic flow at the health center will likely be re-directed to avoid the primary work site area when exterior demolition gets underway.
The original 1950 cornerstone of the building will be preserved for future use by a recently formed group working to ensure the legacy of the former Community General Hospital is carried forward for future generations.
Other items of value and historic significance have already been removed from the building that will also be made available to the joint work group comprised of the Fort Fairfield Quality of Place Council and members of TAMC’s Fort Fairfield Area Health Advisory Committee.
In addition to primary care services, FFHC offers integrated care management services. TAMC’s diabetes educator also spends part of her week on-site to work collaboratively with Nurse Practitioner Mary Coffin, a diabetes expert. Coffin, fellow Nurse Practitioner Nadine Lamoreau, and Dr. Daniel Fowler are the full-time providers that lead the care team for TAMC in Fort Fairfield.
The Fort Fairfield Health Center was established by TAMC in 1990. CGH merged with TAMC in 1982.