CHAMBLEE, Ga. — A towering office building that stood for 45 years is now a pile of rubble after a planned implosion in Chamblee.
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The 18-story glass tower on Century Boulevard came crashing down in a matter of seconds as crews set off explosives to bring the more than 200-foot-tall building to the ground.
Dave Savignano, owner of Cartersville-based Atlas Demolition, told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims that it takes extensive engineering to place explosive charges strategically and time the detonations.
“And within two seconds, the building should be safely on the ground,” he said. “It usually takes two to three seconds.”
NewsChopper 2 captured the implosion from above, showing the building collapse inward as smoke and dust filled the surrounding area.
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The demolition came after a proposed $91 million plan to convert the building into 289 apartments was abandoned because the project was deemed unfeasible.
Highwoods Properties, which owns the building, could not find a new use for the aging structure.
Built in 1981, the tower previously housed the U.S. Department of Revenue until 2024.
The building’s triangular shape presented an additional challenge for engineers preparing for the implosion. The plan was to bring the structure down on itself, with the collapse expected to take about two seconds.
REMEMBERING THE GEORGIA DOME IMPLOSION
The Chamblee demolition brought back memories of another major Atlanta-area implosion: the Georgia Dome in 2017.
The stadium, which opened in 1992, was once the second-largest covered stadium in the world. It hosted the Atlanta Falcons, Georgia State Panthers, two Super Bowls and Olympic events.
The Georgia Dome was also the only American stadium to host the Summer Olympics, a Super Bowl and the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four.
Its implosion cleared the way for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which now stands next door.
The Chamblee office tower’s demolition marks the end of another chapter for a longtime fixture on the metro Atlanta skyline.
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