It's the end of an era for Western Illinois University.
The old Wetzel Hall building in Macomb was imploded at about 7 a.m. on Saturday.
The 13-story, 42-year-old residence hall was demolished following months of preparation, including asbestos removal.
A public viewing was set up in which former students and just anyone curious, was allowed to watch the old building come crumbling down to the ground.
"We didn't want a building standing on the north side of campus that was going to be empty for years to come,” said Joe Roselieb, with WIU. “So we obviously needed to pull the trigger on this."
After everything is cleaned up, the university plans to build a park where Wetzel hall used to stand.