UPDATE: Ashbel Smith Hall in downtown Austin was demolished Sunday morning to make way for a new office tower.
Success!! pic.twitter.com/3OTh1ovHHU
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) March 25, 2018
SLO mo from another vantage point pic.twitter.com/PmO7MOpOW1
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) March 25, 2018
Aftermath. Estimate of 6 to 8 weeks to clear rubble pic.twitter.com/e0YkaxwPXA
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) March 25, 2018
ORIGINAL STORY: Heads up: You might hear a really big boom in downtown Austin this Sunday — followed by the collapse of a 10-story building.
Ashbel Smith Hall at 601 Colorado Street will be demolished in an implosion that's expected to begin at 8 a.m. Sunday. The time could change, depending on weather conditions. Police will block off the area beginning early Sunday.
Project managers claim this implosion will be the largest in Austin's history. That might make it tempting to head downtown to watch, but the public is being asked to stay away. The building should collapse in about 10 to 12 seconds after the demolition charges detonate.
Ashbel Smith Hall was built in 1974 as administrative offices for the University of Texas System. It's being torn down to make way for a new office tower.
