Plan to tear down old Fort Bragg barracks delayed

A Korean War-era barracks at Fort Bragg that was publicized for its poor condition is being torn down.

Posted 8:04 a.m. Jun 17, 2009 — Updated 2:57 p.m. Jun 17, 2009

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Fort Bragg again postponed a plan to tear down a Korean War-era barracks Wednesday.

Fort Bragg officials said the barracks, which saw its poor condition publicized on YouTube, will be one of 13 demolished this week.

The scheduled work was delayed because of problems with equipment. An official said the demolition may begin Thursday.

The barracks demolition process began last week with interior prep work that included asbestos abatement and the removal of environmental hazards, such as mercury thermostats, smoke detector batteries that contain acids and florescent lights because they contain Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB).

The debris for the barracks will be taken to Fort Bragg's landfill where 75 percent of it will be recycled.

The demolition of all 13 barracks is expected to take four to five months.

The infamous building drew national attention last year when it was filmed by the father of an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper.

The video showed peeling paint and mold, a torn toilet seat and a soldier trying to unplug a floor drain that appeared to be clogged with sewage. The barracks had been repaired by the time then-President Bush visited the post in May 2008.

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