After a 3-month delay due to something called asbestos, the implosion of the almost entirely-gutted 12-story office tower located at 2801 Ponce de Leon Blvd finally “took place” on Saturday morning:
The smoke:
The smoke clears:
Raul, the lone representative from the Gables Condo Blog to attend the event (the other failed to hear the Urban Theme ring tone of his Motorola Razr at 6:02 am while counting sheep - the Cabernet Sauvignon from the night before may have had something to do with it), described it as:
“Anticlimactic. The first implosion in the history of the City of Coral Gables was a dud. Tripods, 35 mm cameras, digital sophistication, screaming children, frightened adults, champagne sippers, political big wigs, air test samples, loud blasts, blinding smoke…and when it was all said and done, the concrete elevator shaft in the middle of the mostly steel structure was left standing. The puzzling look of disappointment could be seen in the faces of most in attendance. Can you say ‘refund’?”
According to an article in yesterday’s Miami Herald, the good folks at Dykon Explosive Demolition finished off the job yesterday.
The lot will now be cleared to make way for a 15-story office tower that will serve as the office portion of Old Spanish Village, a 7-acre mixed-use community planned for the eastern curve of Ponce Circle Park that will feature luxury condominiums, townhouses, offices and a retail component.
The office tower, to be modeled after a 15th century Gothic Cathedral complete with arches, stain glass windows and steeple towers, is to be developed, owned and managed by Allen Morris Company - the same Allen Morris Company that developed the beautiful Alhambra Towers at 121 Alhambra Plaza. It is destined to become the first-ever “Silver LEED certified” office building in Coral Gables.
LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (TM), the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
For information regarding Old Spanish Village call Raul Estrada at 786-586-5844 or Adrian Salgado at 305-491-7179. If you’d like to know what it feels like to wake up pre-6:00 am on a Saturday morning after a stressful and hectic work week, call an eager and energetic Raul Estrada.
Comments(1)