The University of South Carolina contracted NEO Corporation in May 2011 for the hazardous waste removal and building demolition of the old state Farmer’s Market located across from Williams-Brice Stadium. The old Farmer’s Market property consisted of 13 total buildings on a 52 acre property site since 1951. In a variety of ways each of the buildings have been added onto and/or modified over time for a total approximate footprint of 158,000 square feet of single story and two story buildings/sheds.

Before the demolition began, NEO abated each structure of any asbestos containing building materials, chemicals or other hazardous wastes. In addition to the wastes being abated, NEO personnel salvaged all of the steel, vaults, conduit and piping to minimize the waste stream. During the demolition process several electrical vaults were discovered that required special handling to prevent electrical interruption to other business enterprises. Approximately 95% of the concrete from this demolition project was crushed onsite and recycled for use on this site or others.

This project consisted of our team working in constant coordination with the University of South Carolina hazmat staff, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), the City of Columbia, University of South Carolina facilities personnel and the Athletic Department. This collaborative strategy enabled NEO to keep the project on track and to effectively keep the costs down for the extra work with minimal impact on the overall project schedule.

Timing was crucial to the completion of this project. The University needed the project to be finished on-time so that the revenue from the parking could be obtained for the future construction project to be completed by 2012.