MIAMI (WSVN) - Crews demolished an iconic hotel on Miami’s Brickell Key in less than 60 seconds, an implosion witnessed by hundreds of residents and visitors who weighed in on what the longstanding building meant to them.
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which graced the Miami skyline for decades, came down at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, reducing the a 23-story building to debris.
Hundreds of people woke up bright and early to secure their spot to watch the implosion — on land or on the water.
“I’m going to come down here in the morning, ’cause I’ve never seen a building demolished,” said Ben Ionnota.
“I was surprised when I first heard they were going to take it down, because it was like, ‘Wait, it’s such a nice hotel,'” said Steve Sterling.
Days earlier, Ivy Fradin, managing member of BG Group Demolition, described how the implosion would unfold.
“The tower will come down first. The garage will come down second. But to the public eye, it will look like one carefully choreographed event,” she said.
Brickell Key resident Edwin Hernandez said he crossed the bridge for a better view.
“Because on the other side, it was probably going to be difficult to see the whole building,” he said.
Others watched along the Rickenbacker Causeway with their cellphones in hand to capture the largest implosion in Miami in over a decade.
“Many people asked us to make a video and share it with our friends,” said Hernandez.
After the Mandaring Oriental came down, the wind pushed the smoke and dust toward downtown.
“Just a cloud of dust that eventually came and – at the point where it started getting into your eyes. Everyone was leaving the other way,” said a man.
Witnesses shared their thoughts after it was all over.
“At first, I was scared at the explosion, but then, perfect,” said a witness to the demolition.
“It’s crazy that all that, in 20 seconds, is now you see it, now you don’t,” said Sterling.
“I’m sad, because it was a beautiful hotel, it was a beautiful building,” said another witness.
“I think the vibe of the island will change a little bit,” said Juan Martinez.
“The noise, and the control of the explosion, and the demolition, was amazing. Amazing,” said another witness. “It was worth it to come.”
“I think it’s a shame, because I think it was a very beautiful building. And it’s only been around for like 20 years, so it’s sad to see relatively modern, good-looking buildings be demolished,” said Sharif Salem.
Residents who live within an 800-foot radius around the hotel were informed to stay inside with the doors and windows closed until after the implosion. The affected area included buildings such as St. Louis Condos, Brickell Key One, Isola and the Brickell Key Centre.
Nevertheless, there was no mandatory evacuation.
Martinez lives in the zone with his family, including his five-month-old baby girl, Augustina.
“They requested, if anyone has any furniture outside on the balconies, to bring them inside,” he said. “The baby needs to sleep at some point, so we cannot be going out for so long.”
While the building is now a part of history, people won’t forget the memories they made there.
“I used to be a massage therapist there, and it was some of the best days as a massage therapist. I learned the most working there,” said Arianna Farinas.
“I remember growing up around the building and even going there for happy hours, and it was a beautiful place,” said Eduardo Alonza.
“It’s transition. You know, you’re seeing something go away so something else can come there,” said Sterling.
Traffic was impacted throughout the day, even after the Brickell Key bridge was closed from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Bridge traffic was rerouted westbound to Eighth Street. Eastbound traffic at Brickell Avenue and Eighth Street was blocked during the bridge closure.
On Monday, many taking their morning walk along Brickell Bay watched the new view as the clean up work began.
“Very weird. It was a building yesterday and now it’s a pile of stuff,” said Nicole Gary, a Miami realtor.
“It was kind of crazy to see this open and hopefully when it comes back, it can be even better,” said area resident Devin Dismang.
For Gary and Matt Edwards, the implosion is an exciting change for the future of the city.
“It’s exciting because it goes to show how much development is going on here in Miami. The future of Miami is very bright. The starting price at the Manderin Oriental is $5 million for a condo there, so you got a lot of high network individuals moving out here.”
It’s going to take six months for all the debris to be removed. In its place, a two-tower luxury hotel and residences will be built, and crews are expected to break ground in the fall.
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