Project to tear down fire-gutted RISE Doro building begins, could take weeks

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Heavy equipment moved into place Friday morning and crews began what will likely be a weekslong process to tear down the RISE Doro apartment building.

WATCH LIVE: News4JAX is streaming the demolition live. Press play above to watch.

Anywhere from 35 to 60 workers a day will use excavators and a crane with a boom or arm of more than 100 feet to tear the 80-foot-tall building down to its foundation. The concrete garage will also remain.

The city of Jacksonville approved an emergency demolition permit naming ELEV8 Demolition of Jacksonville as the contractor for the project.

The city wants the building to come down quickly so work to rebuild can begin, but the demolition crew and the city also want to make sure the building comes down safely.

Joshua Walker, who will be working on the $1 million demolition project, urged everyone to be patient.

“It’s going to take time. Either way, we’re going to have to do everything safely and efficiently,” Walker said. “We’re just going to definitely have to be patient. We don’t want to rush.”

Walker said he’s grateful no one was injured when the massive fire sparked Sunday night. It was still smoldering Wednesday as firefighters worked to put out hot spots so the demolition phase could begin.

Mayor Donna Deegan said this week that city engineers determined the building was unstable and that the wood-framed portions would need to come down.

Elev8 Demolition workers said Wednesday that the company, which is off Heckscher Drive would be issuing a public statement about the process.

The apartment building, which sits on 1.38 acres along A. Philip Randolph Boulevard between Adams and Forsyth streets, was supposed to open to its first eight tenants this weekend.

But now the more than $60 million project will be taken back down to its foundation, and those tenants must move elsewhere.

RELATED: A brief history of RISE Doro apartments, the $67M downtown complex that caught fire before opening | What’s next for the downtown apartment building marred by devastating fire? | Wood-frame construction, like what was used in RISE Doro, is common in Florida because of its cost. But there are risks

The fire weakened the seven-story building’s wooden structure. As thousands of gallons of water poured onto the building to overpower the flames, the flooring became compromised and made the building unstable.

Several walls have blown out and at least one floor collapsed.

RELATED: RISE developer says he ‘absolutely wants to see a rebuild’ after fire destroys Downtown apartment complex | Timeline: Luxury apartment complex in Downtown Jacksonville goes up in flames weeks before opening

Until the building is torn down, roads and businesses surrounding the property will remain closed because of concerns the building could collapse. That will affect traffic heading to Friday night’s Jacksonville Icemen game at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The arena garage will also remain closed.

People will be able to park in Lots J & P at EverBank Stadium. Parking is available only on the north side of the complex. You’re asked to avoid the south side of the arena.

The devastating fire initially sparked around 9:30 p.m. Sunday on the building’s sixth floor. No injuries were reported in the fire, which is still under investigation.

City officials said they learned that the building’s fire sprinkler system did not activate because a final pressure check inspection had not been completed. It was scheduled for this week.