Page 230 - Beyond Decommissioning

Experience and lessons learned 211

restrictions on the pipe routing for the district heating. Further on, to fit those tunnels
for preinsulated pipes would pose serious design and installation challenges, and the
total cost of the network would be considerably higher than in other reuse options.
However, if the steam plant is repurposed for new district heating, then the old steam
pipe bridge and tunnel would be useful in directing the new pipes from the plant to the
site boundary (following a careful structural analysis). In summary, the project con-
sultants highlighted the following conclusions for their clients’ consideration:

l Depending on its soundness, it can be an advantage to the future district heating infrastruc-
ture to reuse the section of the steam tunnel linking the steam plant building to the borders of
the Ford site.
l The sand tunnels do not provide an adequate network for new energy infrastructure to and on
the main redevelopment site. They might be envisaged for other forms of reuse (St.
Paul, 2014).

Another relevant case is the Battery Street Tunnel in downtown Seattle, WA, USA.
Local authorities wanted to use it as a disposal site for the rubble of a demolished via-
duct; however, local residents loved the old structure, and wanted it converted into a
mushroom farm, recycling center or wastewater store. It was also proposed that the
site could become a park, an exciting ride (e.g., a roller coaster) at an amusement park
or a mix of several uses.
For example, the tunnel could hold almost 50,000 m3 of water. Some sewer pipes
pass right above the tunnel, and some below. The vision was to create a key piece of
ecological infrastructure, and not just a container. A plant for capturing and filtering
sewage could be installed in the tunnel. Or better, the water filtration could be com-
bined with industrial uses of the filtered water.
The promoters of the tunnel reuse launched a campaign to freeze any project for the
tunnel until a productive use can be found. The debate was still open in November
2017 when the article quoted by Crosscut (2017) was written. Unfortunately, a few
months later, as reported by Seattle (2018) the City Council voted that the tunnel will
be filled with viaduct demolition debris and sealed off. It was reported that the main
driver for this outcome was the cost of doing seismic upgrades and other rehabilitation
work on the tunnel, which could cost from $75 to $100 million, depending on the
adaptive reuse selected. Apparently, the use of the tunnel as a waste dump does
not require these expenses.
The site described in Zillow (2013) and converted into a home is designed to with-
stand explosions, earthquakes, and nearly all natural disasters thanks to its thick con-
crete walls. The site in question is a relic from the Cold War, when the US were
developing the Atlas missile system and installed the missiles in bases throughout
the country. In the late 1960s, these sites were decommissioned and sold to be private
dwellings or for other uses. In this home, the missile was placed in an underground silo
linked to the missile launch control center. The silo is 55 m deep 15 m in diameter
and could be adapted to the buyer’s desires. For example, it could be converted into an
organic vegetable farm, hydroponics, precious metal vault, scuba diving school, or a
test facility. Wichita Eagle (2006) reports a number of different reuses for under-
ground facilities of this type. It also indicates a potential redevelopment issue, that