Implosion Scheduled for Thursday

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IMPLOSION SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY

Remaining Providence Buildings at 18th & Colcord
to be Demolished Sunday Morning, October 8

Waco, Texas, October 5, 2006, – Providence Health Center, today announced that the remaining buildings on the original property located at 18th & Colcord have been scheduled for implosion this Sunday morning. Bobby & Kayla Lindamood, owners of Lindamood Demolition, confirmed that between 7:00am and 8:00am the implosion will take place. “The actual implosion process will take between six and ten seconds, followed by a dust cloud that could last as long as one hour,” said Bobby Lindamood. He continues, “we began working with property owners adjacent to the implosion site this past week to secure windows to prevent damage from tiny rock particles that could be projected from the implosion site.”

During the demolition process, 24-hour security of the property has been provided. This security was increased on Wednesday as the teams began to prepare the property for the implosion. Officials from Lindamood Demolition have worked with the City of Waco regarding traffic flow before, during, and after the implosion.

Lindamood Demolition began the hand-delivery of a letter this past Thursday to all adjacent property owners. In this letter, Lindamood Demolition offered their services to secure the windows of homes and buildings that face the city block where the implosion will take place. Additionally, all adjacent owners have been asked to park their vehicles off of the surrounding streets.

PROTEC Documentation Services of New Jersey, will provide third-party monitoring of the implosion from four positions, using seismographs which will make available on-site readings throughout the process. PROTEC has performed critical engineering and documentation services on hundreds of implosion projects around the world.

Upon completion of the demolition process in December, the property will be deeded by Providence Healthcare Network to Mercy Housing Inc. a national nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable housing, which intends to build 54 single bedroom apartments to serve low-income elderly residents here in Waco. “Leaders throughout the City of Waco and in the Providence Healthcare Network have helped us realize the dream to provide this much needed resource in Waco,” said Melinda Pollack, Vice President with Mercy Housing.

“Back in 1903, the City of Waco gave the property at 18th & Colcord to the Daughters of Charity in exchange for a hospital which today we know as Providence Healthcare Network,” said, Kent A. Keahey, President & CEO of Providence. “How fitting that this year, Providence will, in turn, give the property back as a gift to another organization in exchange for affordable housing for Waco’s senior adult population.”

Sister Josephine Cusimano, formally Sister Austin, Administrator of Providence from 1961 to 1975, and currently a resident of the Village at Providence Park, has been chosen to initiate Sunday’s implosion.

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