Goodbye, O-Rena!
Days before the old Amway Arena, a building with sentimental meaning to the city of Orlando, comes crashing down, crews tested the explosives Wednesday morning to prepare for the real thing on Sunday.
The single blast only affected two columns.
When the actual implosion happens, more than 70 columns will be blown up.
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Officials with the project said their biggest concern is safety.
"There will be a series of blasts that will wrap around and meet at one point," said Sean Flanagan, vice president of development for ZMG Construction. "They will start on the north and south sides of the arena, and it will be a series of bangs. Then, once the upper bowl starts to collapse, there will be shots in the roof structure."
Crews said the roof structure of the old arena is extremely heavy, so gravity will be working with them.
After the implosion, the dust is expected to take about an hour to settle in the area.
Weather, particularly wind, could become a fact in the implosion. However, crews said they do not anticipate any problems.
Roads near the arena will be shut down Sunday morning, people who live or work within a few blocks have been told to shut their windows and doors, and turn off their air conditioners.
Crews said they don't think the dust will affect nearby I-4. However, if it does end up shutting down the interstate, they have a plan in place.
The last time the city of Orlando saw a demolition of this magnitude was in 1991, when the Old City Hall building was taken down. That spectacle was famously used in the opening scene of the film "Lethal Weapon 3."
For many in Central Florida, the old Amway Arena holds significant meaning. Orlando city officials sent us photos from 1989, when construction first started on what would become the home of the city's first major sports team, the Orlando Magic.
Now, over 20 years and a brand new stadium later, the empty building once known as the "O-Rena" is ready to come down.
"We are looking forward for this building coming down and handing over the proverbial set of keys to the CVC, so they can go on to the next phase of this project," said Richard Zahn, CEO of ZMG Construction. "Our goal is to have it go off without any hitches. From my perceptive, it will be real nice. I'll be smiling on the 25th, when the building comes down."