Information from this article was first published in Demolition Magazine and is being reused with permission from the National Demolition Association.
When the president of New Hampshire environmental and specialty contracting firm EnviroVantage learned that one of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing was virtually unable to maneuver himself into and around his family’s home in Concord, he eagerly accepted the opportunity to help.
The image of Jeff Bauman Jr., who lost both of his legs in the attack as he waited on the finish line for his girlfriend to complete the race, has become an iconic symbol of the tragedy. While completing physical therapy at his mother’s home in Massachusetts, he was able to visit his father’s home only once because it was not wheelchair accessible.
Enter the Concord general contracting firm, Cobb Hill Construction, which got the ball rolling by reaching out to Jeff Bauman Jr.’s family, his family’s church and a dedicated group of business volunteers. Their goal was to create an accessible new kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, as well as build a wheelchair ramp for the home.
During the early demolition process, where flooring and siding were being removed, EnviroVantage of Epping, N.H., contributed its services, safely removing and disposing of hazardous asbestos materials which had been used in the home’s initial building process. The contractor also performed selective demolition on the rear porch area to open the back of the house for an addition.
“We consider environmental stewardship to be an essential part of our mission<" said Michael R. Taylor, CAE, executive director of the National Demolition Association. "Projects like the one EnviroVantage has undertaken is a great example of how our members exert a positive impact on the quality of life in our country.”
The renovation of the Bauman home, where Jeff Jr.’s two half-brothers also live, began late last summer is now complete. It’s enabled the young man to more easily enter through a wheelchair ramp and move from room to room in the newly adapted home.
