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All asbestos was removed before
the implosion took place and verified by the Maricopa County Air Quality Department. It was stated by the company, Advanced
Explosives Demolition (AED), that there would be less dust in the single implosion than would be released if the building
were demolished a floor at a time. Official notification regarding the implosion was distributed to local residents and
business owners just one day before the event. Needless to say, the late timing was not received well in the area.
 Local residents and the general public were advised to stay at least 1,000 feet away from the site, although,
residents did have the option to stay inside their homes if they chose. Soft closures were set up by the police department
on surrounding streets 30 minutes before the implosion took place. Hundreds of spectators showed up to witness the event.
On the tenth hour, blasts (with the range of 100 to 125 decibels) boomed and a huge cloud of dust and debris was raised a
few stories high after a tremendous concussion wave rippled through the area. It was enough to “shock and awe”
a large crowd of people who were watching from the roof of a parking garage one city block away, as many scurried off and
decided that they had seen enough.
View the Blast Footage provided to CMN by Joshua Burgard
The dust cloud extended over four city blocks. A sweeping breeze dispersed
and cleared the thick cloud in a matter of minutes and all that remained was a massive pile of rubble. The city reports the
rubble is being sorted, recycled and cleared to make way for a new upper scale retirement community.
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