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Building implosion: police provide traffic control and security
Rows of excited on-lookers filled the blocked off area of Thomas and Third Street and hundreds of others gathered on each floor of nearby parking garages. Kids found higher perches on the shoulders of parents; film crews hit the top floor of the Phoenix Hilton parking garage where city officials joined citizens crowding ledges to get the best view. Crews from the cable channel TLC were there to tape the event that will be featured in the opening segment of their new program “Dynamite Family” scheduled to begin in December 2009.
The 10 a.m. implosion of the 10-story former Mountain Bell building would demolish the 37-year-old structure and make way for a planned upscale retirement community. More than 150 pounds of explosives were strategically positioned in the structure and the area had been cleared and cordoned off to ensure safety. Phoenix police and fire were staged throughout the four-block radius.
The crowds shouted out the final 3-2-1. Silence; a short not-too-impressive blast; silence again, but a puff of white smoke was visible from a bottom corner of the building. Then, another blast; this time it was a very loud explosion. Children and adults alike screamed, cheered and whistled as the building crumbled from its center core and thundered to the ground. Then, a big white chalky cloud covered the area and the rooftop revelers began to dash for cover as the wind from the east pushed it directly toward Central Avenue.