Implosion Date Set for Genesee Towers

The demolition for the Genesee Towers has been set for 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 22nd according to an announcement from Uptown Reinvestment Corporation. The 19-story building will be blasted using an implosion process designed to allow the building to collapse within its own footprint.

The demolition of Genesee Towers will pave the way for the construction of Exploration Park. The project coincides with the redevelopment of the neighboring Flint Journal properties that will house the new Flint Farmers Market, MSU Health programs, lofts and retail.

URC President Tim Herman encourages the community to look past the nostalgia and see the benefits that will come from the demolition of the Genesee Towers. "We're about a month out from changing the downtown Flint skyline," said Herman. "Soon we'll look back on this historic occasion and recognize it as one of the key events that helped to eradicate blight and encourage new growth. The redevelopment plan will bring new life to downtown Flint and a safer place for workers and families to enjoy the outdoors."

According to Dave Lurvey, a consultant who is managing the project on behalf of Siwek Construction, the demolition team has made solid progress over the past few weeks. "The majority of the work has focused on wall coring and specific structure removal in line with the implosion plan. The work will continue for the next few weeks as well as activity on the perimeter of the site to protect adjacent buildings," said Lurvey. "In addition, we have addresses all the environmental concerns that are relevant for this method of implosion."

Other work continuing in the process include the boarding up of adjacent properties and evacuation notifications for certain addresses that are located within the safe zone. A command post will be set up ahead of the demolition as will a viewing area for the public.