City releases details of March 11 demolition of Insights Museum
The City of El Paso held a news conference on Monday afternoon to release information on the upcoming demolition of Insights Museum
Insights Museum Demolition- Quick Facts
The demolition of the Insights Museum building is being performed as part of the El Paso Ballpark Project.
The contractor (Construction Manager-at-Risk) for all activities tied to the Ballpark Project is Jordan Hunt, Joint Venture.
Subcontractor for Insights Museum demolition is Grant MacKay Demolition, Co. out of Houston.
Mobilization activities begin the week of March 4.
Includes installation of fencing around perimeter.
Placement /staging of necessary equipment and machinery.
Implementation of traffic control along Santa Fe St.
Actual demolition of Insights building to commence week of March 11. Will cost in $1.5 million range.
Conventional demolition method to be utilized with standard construction equipment.
Some building materials to be recycled (primarily metals).
Demolition activities expected to complete in March.
Appropriate traffic control measures will be in place throughout demolition activities.
City Hall demolition being coordinated for early April.
The Insights Museum had already closed it’s doorslate 2012but when the demolition would happen, hadn’t been said.
That was until lateSunday eveningevening when ABC-7got anemail about a news conference set for Monday afternoon. The demolition will begin this week, it states.
Some El Pasoanssaid it was unfortunateto finally see Insights go.
“I think it’s really sad the day when we tear down a science museum,” said a local passer-by. “I think its a bad idea, Ithink its a really big part of El Paso,” they continued.
The museum’s former board president Aaron Velasco cringes at the idea.
“I’ve prepared myself mentally for that,I dont want to see it actually, truthfully I’m not going to go down and see that,” said Velasco.
The late-breaking news of the demo-details has taken some El Pasoans by surprise as well.
Even former board members of the museum didn’t get the memo.
“We are totally out of the loop now since we handed over the keys, were not made privy of any of that,” said Velasco.
As far as the old Insights exhibits, they’ve found a home in a school.
“We are currently storing our stuff at Alamo school in Segundo Barrio, our plan is to open up there,” said Velasco.
Velasco toldABC-7 they are making a push to reopen soon.
“We have not finalized that plan with EPISD. We finalized the agreement to store the stuff but there’s more that needs to be put into place before we operate out of there,” said Velasco.
