Commercial Demolition in Mountain View

Office and R&D Building Demolition in Mountain View

Mountain View has a lot of one- and two-story office and R&D buildings from the 1970s through the 1990s. Many sit in North Bayshore, between Highway 101 and the bay, and in East Whisman around Middlefield Road and Ellis Street. Both areas have city precise plans that allow much denser housing and offices, and the old buildings are steadily coming down to make room.

These buildings are usually concrete tilt-up or steel frame with large slab foundations, surrounded by big parking lots. Demolition means stripping out interiors and roofing, bringing down the structure with large excavators fitted with shears and breakers, then breaking out the slab and paving. The volumes of concrete, steel and asphalt are large, so sorting and recycling are planned from day one.

Apartment and Small Commercial Demolition for Rowhouses

Along El Camino Real, Rengstorff Avenue and the streets near downtown and the transit corridor, the commercial buildings coming down are smaller: two-story apartment buildings from the 1960s, old motels, single-story retail and auto shops. They are being replaced by rowhouses, townhomes and mixed-use buildings.

These sites are tight. Neighbors are close, the street is busy, and parking and sidewalks have to stay open where possible. The demolition is often tied to the planning approval for the new project, and occupied rental buildings carry city tenant relocation requirements that the owner completes before a demolition date is set.

Old auto shops and dry cleaners can come with underground tanks or soil contamination that needs environmental handling. When that is a possibility, we work alongside the owner's environmental consultant so demolition and any cleanup are sequenced properly.

Asbestos, Permits and Utilities for Commercial Demolition

Every commercial building is surveyed for asbestos before demolition. Office and R&D buildings of this age commonly have it in floor tile and mastic, fireproofing, roofing, pipe insulation and drywall compound. Abatement by a certified contractor comes first, and the air district receives its demolition notice ahead of the start date. We coordinate the abatement contractor's schedule with ours, but we do not do abatement work.

Mountain View's Building Division releases the demolition permit, typically once the replacement project has its planning approval. Utility work includes PG&E gas and electric removal, abandonment of water and sewer services under city direction, and sometimes removal of transformers, backflow devices and fire lines. We also plan for hazardous items like fluorescent tubes, ballasts and refrigerants, which have to be removed and disposed of separately.

Dust, Noise and Traffic Control on Mountain View Sites

Large demolition in Mountain View happens near offices that stay open, neighbors who work from home, and roads that carry heavy commute traffic. Dust control means water on every machine working, wind monitoring, and screened fencing. Noise stays inside the hours the city sets, and the loudest work is scheduled away from the most sensitive neighbors when possible.

Truck traffic is planned with the city. That can mean set routes, flaggers, sidewalk closures with detours, and keeping mud off public streets with a rock entrance and street sweeping. On campus sites near Shoreline, the plan also accounts for event traffic and the many bikes and pedestrians using the area.