Last original Westpark unit demolished in Bremerton

With nearly 7,000 tons of concrete and 1,546 tons of wood recycled and $3.8 million spent on demolition, the last-standing original Westpark structure was demolished Tuesday. The duplex, units 101 D and 103 E, was the final house to go in the 70-year-old public housing site. Last month, regional fire crews used the duplex for an earthquake disaster drill and had dropped large trees on it. The removal of the old buildings is part of Bremerton Housing Authority’s t

April 21, 2011 2:23 pm
Tags:
The last housing unit at the old Westpark housing project was used by fire fighters and law enforcement for training prior to its demolition Tuesday.
The last housing unit at the old Westpark housing project was used by fire fighters and law enforcement for training prior to its demolition Tuesday.

With nearly 7,000 tons of concrete and 1,546 tons of wood recycled and $3.8 million spent on demolition, the last-standing original Westpark structure was demolished Tuesday. The duplex, units 101 D and 103 E, was the final house to go in the 70-year-old public housing site. Last month, regional fire crews used the duplex for an earthquake disaster drill and had dropped large trees on it.

The removal of the old buildings is part of Bremerton Housing Authority’s transformation and revitalization of Westpark into Bay Vista — an 82-acre mixed income, mixed-use community.

A stand of trees facing Kitsap Way will be preserved for open space, and on Friday volunteers will help clear ivy from the area. About 500 trees on the property were cut.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

A grand opening of the first housing in Bay Vista, The Summit, is scheduled for May 17. The Summit will be an 83-unit affordable rental property. Construction of Bay Vista West, 68 affordable townhouses along Oyster Bay Avenue, continues and is expected to be complete in late summer.

Westpark was originally built by the housing authority from November 1940 to July 1941 to create housing for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard workers and their families. After World War II, it became a public housing facility that provided rentals for low-income residents including seniors and the disabled.

In 2008, the housing authority received a $20 million public housing grant to help with the construction of Bay Vista. Residents were relocated throughout the region throughout an 18-month period, with the last family moving out in October 2009.

Tags: