Demolition preps begin for Bellevue home that slid off its foundation; work starts Feb. 19
BELLEVUE, Wash. - The first steps in preparations for demolishing the Bellevue home that slid off its foundation started on Thursday.
On Jan. 17, a home on 139th Place Southeast was damaged and slid off its foundation in a landslide. This caused the homeowners and neighborhood to evacuate.
Weeks later, the city of Bellevue reached an agreement with the homeowners to demolish the house after the city said it was suing the family for permission to access the structure in order to demolish the collapsed home.
The city said it finalized a contract with a demolition contractor to remove the home and started the first steps in preparation for the demolition.
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Demolition will remove an "imminently dangerous hazard" from the neighborhood and will allow nearby families to return to their homes that have been inaccessible since the slide, according to the city of Bellevue.
The city released this scheduled timeline of the process:
- Feb. 10: Preparation of the site begins
- Feb. 14-18: Roadway cleanup, site protection and equipment mobilization
- Feb. 19-25: Likely demolition dates and processing of debris
- Feb. 28-March 3: Site stabilization, cleanup and demobilization
"Our number one priority throughout this process is to keep people safe and to remove the dangerous structure as soon, and as safely, as possible," said City Manager Brad Miyake. "We’re grateful to the Surdi family (owners of the damaged home) for allowing the demolition process to begin. I also want to reassure the community that the city is deeply committed to helping the Somerset neighborhood recover from this unimaginable event."
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Bellevue officials said the site will be secured and monitored for the safety of the neighborhood.
The investigation into the slide remains ongoing and could take months to complete.
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