A residence hall at the Western Illinois University campus in Macomb will be demolished by implosion Saturday morning, July 14, 2012.
The 13-story Wetzel Hall is 42 years old. Now that asbestos removal has been completed and the building is stripped down to its concrete base, it’s ready for implosion.
Explosives are strategically placed in what’s left of the building, and gravity will do the rest.
The implosion is set for 7 a.m.
A public viewing area is set up at the northeast end of Q-Lot on the campus.
The university will also stream the implosion live at this link: http://www.wiu.edu/wetzelcam/. The stream feed should be available beginning at 6:30 a.m. To access the live streaming video, viewers will need a broadband connection to the Internet (modem access is not recommended) and a current version of Real Player.
Dust generated from the implosion is not expected to impact air quality in the area.
Crews will begin removing debris immediately after the demolition. A park will be created on the site of the building after it is cleared.
