Sights unseen: self-proclaimed 'urban explorers' seek out derelict buildings for art's sake, but what does this trend mean for the demolition contractors responsible for the sites?

Kids sneaking into "haunted houses" for kicks and a place to hang out is a long-time ritual and rite of passage, after which such silly stunts are supposed to stop. But a whole new underground of organized trespassers are using the Internet to hide behind and communicate with each other about their exploits into abandoned buildings and sites. Calling themselves urban explorers, these people of all ages have targeted vacant sites either waiting to be demolished or in the process of demolition, wandering around and taking pictures of themselves and what they see in the buildings, then posting them on Web sites devoted to such practices. Construction & Demolition Recycling contacted a few such sites, the organizers of which did not respond to requests for an interview by press time.

"Trespassers have always been around," says Michael Taylor, executive director of the National Demolition Association. "But these guys are more daring. I have never seen it this organized, especially when the demolition starts and buildings are coming down [and] they realize [the buildings] won't be there much longer." The Web sites also include checklists of sorts of places for these shadowy groups to go, and some have traveled thousands of miles to mark a site off their list.

THE NEW TRESPASSERS

Kevin Klein, Insul-Coat, Orlando, Fla., agrees that all demo contractors and contaminant removers have always seen trespassers around and have experienced minor vandalism, "but this is more organized. Some of it is nuts--guns, fireworks, stuff like that."

These people really do know their way around the buildings, Klein says. One example he had involved what was a state-funded institution in Orlando for disabled children, with a sister site in Tallahassee, Fla. Both facilities had been shut down for years. Insul-Clean had been involved in the abatement of the Orlando site before it went down, and the developer of the site in Tallahassee wanted a bid to do that place. But in researching the site before he bid, Klein went on the Web looking for more information on the facility and found out the urban explorers "had more knowledge about the site than the developer. Blueprints, pictures of when it was occupied, what happened in every room, tips on how to get in, what areas to avoid because they were unsafe, everything," he says.

These organized trespassers also seem to be more prevalent today, Klein adds. Some of it may be because of the rising price of scrap metal to be recovered, "But these people are not economically motivated like that," he says.

Browsing such Web sites as www.opacity.us, e.webring.com/ hub?ring=draining and www.infiltration.org/home.html reveals a different motive. Instead, these trespassers, some as old as 50, often seem to enjoy a thrill from entering derelict structures, especially those with some kind of odd history to them, such as state mental hospitals or amusement parks. These are inviting targets for a couple of reasons, says Taylor.

Many of the sites are owned by the government, notes Taylor. "Most [agencies] cannot afford to have large amounts of security at the site, and they expect the local police to do that," says Taylor. "[But police] have a lot of other things on their plate, too."

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Some demolition contractors working at a targeted site say the places have been vacant so long that the police set the security of the place as a low priority, as trespassers have been hosted at them for years.

When a demolition contractor takes over one of these targeted sites, extra security is recommended. According to Robert Elster of Apollo General, which provides insurance services to the demolition industry, the contractor is liable for any accidents that happen to the trespassers. "The standard contract that insurance agencies and general contractors make their subs sign holds the two harmless if anything happens," he says. "Anything and everything that happens on the site is their fault."

Michael Taylor says, "The demolition industry knows it is responsible for the sites when they are under our control. We do everything possible to control access and stop people from entering those sites."

These sites that the trespassers target can be huge, says Taylor--as much as 300 acres and 60 buildings--and security is different from many other demolition jobs. At a smaller site with occupied buildings nearby it is easier to control access, and depending on the size of the building, the demolition contractor is off the site in less than a month. But these big sites can take a year to finish.

They can also, of course, be dangerous, a fact trespassers seem to recognize. But they take a romantic view of the buildings, as this passage from one site (www.opacity. us) managed by a self-proclaimed urban explorer who identifies himself as "Motts" attests: "This is a lonesome alien world whose dark corners and peeling walls have gotten a hold of me and many others; this affinity for derelict structures and often dangerous excitement is the core essence of urban exploring, in my opinion."

The properties may be a dream for such adventurers, but for contractors the antics could lead to a nightmare.