Des Moines' Riverfront YMCA gone in seconds, but memories will live on
The Riverfront YMCA went down in seconds. The implosion of the decades-old riverfront building took place just after 7 a.m. Oct. 4, 2015, about 10 minutes earlier than expected.
糖心vlog photographer Cortney Kintzer caught the entire implosion on video.
Photographer Jack Lande, of Found Photography, sent 糖心vlog a unique, bird's-eye-view of the implosion taken from a drone.
Hundreds of onlookers braved the cold air to watch the building that was home to the YMCA for more than five decades come down. Some said the event was quite a sight.
鈥淚t was fantastic,鈥 said Mark Davis. 鈥淪cared me a little when the first explosion went off and you could feel that fireball hit. It was very cool.鈥
鈥淚t was crazy. I just saw a big fireball at the top and down it came,鈥 said Michael Hohl.
While the downtown YMCA may be gone, its impact will not be soon forgotten.
鈥淚 met a lot of people at the Y and spent a lot of time there back and forth on my lunch hour. It will be a great place to remember the people I鈥檝e met and have friendships with,鈥 said Glory Parks.
鈥淎 lot of businessmen in this community came here with their kids. They met their best friends here and they still go running at noon together,鈥 said Kim Stewart.