Sioux Falls, SD

[DeeDee]

Thought this was funny.

Blast Fails to Topple South Dakota's Tallest Building
By DIRK LAMMERS, AP

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dec. 3) - Thousands of spectators gathered Saturday to watch the demolition of the city's tallest building - but the Zip Feed Mills tower was stronger than it looked.

A series of timed explosions went off at 12:55 p.m. as planned, but the 202-foot-tall concrete structure dropped slightly, leaned a little - then stopped about 8 seconds later.

That drew groans and gasps from spectators who gathered at viewing spots throughout downtown Sioux Falls. Some saw the humor in the situation.

"The leaning tower of Zip," one woman quipped.

"Now it's not the tallest building anymore," a man responded.

"The building won!" yelled another man, to the cheers of onlookers.

The abandoned feed mill elevator in downtown Sioux Falls pales in comparison to structures such as Chicago's 1,450-foot Sears Tower or even North Dakota's 242-foot state Capitol in Bismarck, but it is widely considered the tallest building in South Dakota.

Sioux Falls resident Chuck Woodard and his wife and daughter watched from the roof of a nearby city parking garage despite temperatures in the teens.

"I think they have a dangerous situation there," Woodard said after the blast. "Someone's got to go in there and find out what went wrong."

Crews had drilled holes into the tower's supporting columns and stuffed them with explosives, intending to drop the tower into a heap of rubble.

However, the tower collapsed into the structure's basement and got wedged, said Eric Schuler, project manager for the Henry Carlson Co., a general contractor. The structure was stable and crews planned to return on Monday to knock it down with a crane, Schuler told KELO-TV.

"It's not an exact science," said Schuler. "We'll get it down safely."

The site's co-owners, Raven Industries Inc. and Howalt-McDowell Insurance Inc., had turned the event into a fundraiser for the Dakota chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and sold $1 raffle tickets for the chance to trigger the blast.

A loan office won the drawing and passed the honor onto Jeb Huisman, a 30-year-old finance officer for the nearby town of Garretson who suffers from MS.

The tower was opened in 1956, one of the most modern feed elevators of its time, but ceased operations in 2000. It sits on a bare lot in an industrial section just east of downtown along the Big Sioux River in this city of 134,000.

For much of its history, Sioux Falls' largest employer was a livestock meatpacking plant. But about 25 years ago, Citibank moved its credit card division to Sioux Falls and started a change toward more white-collar jobs.

The Zip tower is being replaced by a $15 million office and retail center, and possibly a new events center. Construction could begin this spring.

The raffle tickets raised $25,000 for the charity. Corporate sponsorships, VIP admissions and T-shirt sales were expected to raise the total past $140,000.


12-03-05 15:27 EST

[White Rabbit]

That's so awesome. I wish they'd blow up one of the buildings they're always tearing up around here and sell tickets.

[whipping_post]

I saw this in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning. You know if it's made worldwide publication, it's going to be funny. I'll try to find the link.

They were doing it for a good cause so in this case, I can see letting an old grain mill go.