Lafayette Building demo collapse in Detroit 2-24-10

This is a montage of four vantage points of the collapse of the eastern elevator bank of the Lafayette Building in Detroit. The collapse happened at 4:30 a.m. the night of Feb. 23, 2010 (early morning of Feb. 24). The excavator operator fought with the wall for about an hour as the building shimmied and shook as he tried to push it in.
The Lafayette opened in 1924 and was designed by noted theater architect C. Howard Crane, who also did the Fox Theatre in Detroit. The demolition follows a lengthy preservation battle to save the unique Italian Renaissance landmark.
For more on the Lafayette Building's history and for photos, go to www.buildingsofdetroit.com.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Detroit
• Lafayette
• Building
• collapse
• demolition
• BuildingsofDetroit.com

[BuildingsofDetroit]

This is the way our city's history ends. This is the way our city's history ends. This is the way our city's history ends. Not with a whimper but a bang.

[philritter21]

Absolutely shocked at the sloppy and dangerous way this building was demolished.

[IanEduardoMeneses]

Oh noes Life After People with People!

[mackbee628]

Now if only they'd finally demolish the old Michigan Central Train Depot. That building is a death trap!

[6969Wolf6969]

really cool video. what a beautiful job they are doing. those guys are really pros at bringing her down.

[GildaSnowden]

Awesome video.....I'm just sorry that it took place. I have some video somewhere that I took of the Hudson's implosion. That was an awesome sight, but I cried like a baby at all of the memories that tumbled that day in 1998

[dklotz19]

What a shame.. One building at a time the "leadership" of Detroit is tearing away at the history and the remaining density that's left in Detroit... It really is too bad...