Kevin Ward, courtesy of Creative Commons
A controlled demolition implosion process brought down The Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit on Saturday, July 11. The arena served as the home of the National Basketball Association Detroit Pistons for nearly three decades, from 1988 to 2017.
According to an online article from the Detroit News, which includes a video clip of the implosion, explosives were used to bring down the “skeleton” or steel frame of the building, after dismantling crews had gutted the building and also removed much of the concrete. Controlled Demolition Inc. (CDI), Phoenix, Maryland, served as the explosives subcontractor on the job.
Carleton, Michigan-based Homrich Inc. was the lead contractor on the dismantling portions of The Palace, according to a 2019 article by Crain’s Detroit Business. That same article says CEO Scott Homrich estimated that about 80,000 tons of concrete, steel and nonferrous scrap metal would be recycled during the demolition process for a 90 percent landfill diversion rate.
The land on which The Palace sat is being redeveloped in part by Schostak Brothers & Co., a company also based in suburban Detroit. According to the Detroit News, “Before it was sold, the Auburn Hills city council rezoned the space for research and development. After crews clear the site, it will eventually hold 1 million square feet of mixed-use office and research and development space.”
Watch the video of the implosion below, courtesy of CDI:
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