Buffalo Rising Online

Mar 26th 2006, 9:43am By buffalorising

On Sunday (today), March 26th and Monday, March 27th, David Bennick, of Re-Use Consulting; will visit Buffalo for the culmination of an east coast tour to promote building deconstruction and salvage. David has been working in the Re-Use field for over 10 years. He began his work in Bellingham, Washington as the Field Operations Manager for a non-profit deconstruction and retail operation that grew rapidly during his tenure, expanding retail space to 50,000 square feet, employing 36 full-time workers, and handling 150-200 semi trailers of salvaged material each year. He now consults with municipalities, non-profits, and small businesses across the country to develop deconstruction models and strategies for building re-use.

On Sunday afternoon, March 26th, from 3-5:30 p.m., at 271 Grant Street, the former Grant Street Library, Mr. Bennick will facilitate a workshop titled, "Re-USE IT or LOSE IT: Developing a Model for Building Deconstruction in Buffalo." Photo: Apartment building on FLW Martin Grounds to demo this week. Landfill or re-use?

Mr. Bennick will draw on the expertise of those living and working in the community, to analyze the issue of abandoned homes here in Buffalo; share various deconstruction models and techniques that have been successful through his work; and facilitate the development of an initial deconstruction plan for Buffalo. Preservationists, environmentalists, community organizers, contractors, educators, public officials, political leaders and concerned citizens are strongly encouraged to attend.

A community forum titled, "Say NO to DEMO!: the potential of building deconstruction in Buffalo", will be held Monday evening, March 27th, from 7-9 p.m. at 271 Grant Street. During his presentation, Mr. Bennick will discuss how building deconstruction, the careful disassembly of buildings in the exact opposite order they were built, can create opportunities for job training, small business development, materials salvage, and landfill diversion. He will site case studies and over 10 years of experience to argue that it can be done efficiently, provide numerous opportunities in the community, and often save municipalities money compared to the costs of traditional demolition.

The challenge of abandoned and vacant homes has been a hot topic recently in Buffalo and in urban centers across the country. Here in Buffalo, an estimated 20,000 homes are on the demolition list, and with mounting costs necessary to facilitate the project, many people are looking for alternatives. Chris Brown, President of the Kleinhans Community Association commented, "Deconstruction just makes sense! It's a win n win situation for everyone and it's a realistic solution. Complete building deconstruction has worked in other places, people are beginning to recognize the tremendous potential, and it's time we developed a model for Buffalo to bring these ideas to life."

David Bennick is excited about the opportunities here in Buffalo. He said, "Buffalo is in a unique position. Given the scale of this project, Buffalo could provide leadership in the field of deconstruction and develop a model that could be replicated in other cities across the country that struggle with the issue of abandoned homes. "

David founded Re-Use Consulting in an effort to become an industry advocate, providing comprehensive consulting services to the reuse industry. He has supported community groups, businesses, and municipalities in developing reuse operations. He facilitates trainings and provides technical support in techniques for deconstruction; wholesale and retail sales of used building materials; efficient management and administration; marketing and advertising; and safe work practices.