YMCA preparing for implosion
The Riverfront YMCA is set to be imploded on Oct. 4, while demolition crews have already bulldozed half the building and salvaged what they could.
“It served its purpose for a good 54 years, and then it just wasn’t able to keep up with the demands we have that the YMCA tries to meet,” said Riverfront YMCA Executive Director Tim Short.
In less than two weeks, the building will be filled with explosives and collapse in on itself in nine seconds.
“You’ll see a series of pow, pow, pow, pow, and then there’ll be a delay. Then, it will just go in a sigh,” said Des Moines Community Development Director Phil Delafield.
The columns will be loaded with explosive charges, triggering a series of explosions before it collapses, creating a dust cloud expected to take five minutes to settle.
“This gets it down faster than if they were to use the conventional methods,” Delafield said.
For safety reasons, an area surrounding the building will be blocked off -- from Des Moines Street to Park Street and 2nd Avenue to Walnut Street.
YMCA officials say goodbye to a building they called home for more than five decades but admit they're excited to move on to a new space with more opportunities.
“From the passion aside from the people that we’re sad to see Riverfront go to those who realized how much more that we can do now that we’re in the Wellmark YMCA and what we can do to meet the needs and serve the Des Moines community. It’s really just been a great process from beginning to end,” said Short.
The time of day the implosion will happen is not set. YMCA officials hope to have the site cleared and the purchase agreement with Hubbell Realty complete by the end of November.
Plans are intended to be a mix of housing and retail.