Mount Providence

 


 

Click on the picture to see the full sized version. Click on it again to close the large version. The large images are draggable with your mouse. Mount Providence School, Chapel, Motherhouse and ministry center fell to the ground in a 15-second implosion at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, February 10, after standing for more than 68 years as a hilltop landmark at 8351 Florissant Road off Interstate 70 in Normandy.  Ahrens Contracting Inc. of East St. Louis, a demolition and excavation contractor, is heading up the demolition and cleanup of the project.

 

The demolition clears the way for the Missouri Department of Transportation to straighten dangerous curves in I-70 at Cool Valley between Bermuda and Hanley. UM-St. Louis purchased the 26-acre site from the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1996.

See the entire story of the history of Mount Providence. 
T. J. Ahrens began drilling the columns, weakening key structural members, and preparing the building for implosion weeks ago.  Jim Redyke arrived onsite several days prior to the implosion to direct the final preparation.

The building was bordered on one side by Interstate 70 and on the opposite side by several apartment buildings.  Nearby Lambert Airport put the project directly in the flight path of commercial air traffic on final landing approach.  

 

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With the implosion scheduled for Saturday, Feb 10, the Ahrens crew had the building prepped and ready to load by the preceding Thursday. The Dykon loading crew arrived onsite as the final preparations to the doomed building were finished.  The Explosives were delivered at daylight on Thursday morning. 
 Two columns, one concrete and one brick were selected in the basement for a test blast to verify the loading design of the columns.  Following a successful test blast, the placement of the explosive charges began.  
Click on the picture to see the full sized version. Click on it again to close the large version. The large images are draggable with your mouse. The Mount Providence Center was a 5-story structure built on a long narrow footprint with a chapel in the center that was added onto the structure later than the original construction.  There were over 200 load bearing columns within the sprawling structure.  It would take just under 15 seconds for all of the charges placed inside the building to detonate.  

In real time, 15 seconds isn't very much time, but during an implosion, 15 seconds is more than enough time for a very large array of problems to develop.  Exploding columns within the structure can interfere with unexploded columns when this much time is required for an entire implosion to take place.

The charges were checked, double checked, and then checked again to assure that everything was perfect.  The implosion had to occur in the designed time frame while also protecting the lives and property of those who lived, drove and flew nearby.
With the help of St. Louis Law Enforcement, the area was  secured of pedestrians and traffic.  In cooperation with Lambert Airport, a 10 minute window in the air traffic was scheduled at precisely 8:00 AM.  Onlookers who turned out for the implosion were assembled on a hill overlooking the entire project.  A massive storm front had passed through, and left in its wake, freezing temperatures and a gloriously sunny day.

Cameras of all types ringed the project from safe distances.  The 3-minute warning sounded and the crowd made final checks on their cameras and awaited as the count-down began.  

At one minute before 8:00 the one minute warning sounded and the airport verified that that the 10 minute window had begun.  The last approaching jet roared overhead on its descent for landing.  Interstate 70 and Florissant Road were completely devoid of traffic and unusually silent on a cold, crisp Saturday morning. 

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Jim Redyke manned the command post in direct communication with all the coordinating officials.  Jared Redyke, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, was in charge of the firing position on the crest of the hill overlooking the entire project.  Final clearance of the area was verified and the ten-second countdown marking the end of the Mount Providence Center began.  When the countdown reached zero, Pat Ahrens of Ahrens Contracting, Inc. pushed the button that initiated the intricate delay system that would guide the old building to its final resting place.
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A series of small explosions could be heard marching down the entire length of the building that marked the beginning of the end.  Several seconds later, starting on the Northern end, the building began laying gently down and progressed steadily along its full length until it disappeared into the cloud of dust arising from the Southern end of the building.

After the dust dissipated and Jared signaled the “ALL CLEAR”, the spectators got to come down and say their farewells to the Mount Providence Center.  

As with any project of this nature, it requires a tremendous amount of coordination to safely and effectively perform the work.  We at Dykon would like to express our thanks to everyone who contributed to making this implosion project the success that it was.  Ahrens Contracting, Inc., flawlessly prepared the building for the implosion on schedule and professionally.  The city of St. Louis law enforcement handled the traffic.  The Lambert Airport coordinated with Ahrens to provide a window in the air traffic at the time of the implosion.  Orica Explosives, out of Washington, MO, provided top notch product and service.   
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Ted & Pat Ahrens, Burt Buselaki, Dennis Libke, and Roger Kent

We would also like to thank Cathy Cullen, director of development for the Sisters of Divine Providence, and Ginni Mittler, assistant director, who prepared and gave us permission to use their press release with a history of the building and the chronology, prepared by the late Sister Mary Philip Hampton.
It is always a pleasure and a privilege when we get to work with such a group of professionals, and we appreciate the opportunity to come to St. Louis and do our work.  We are looking forward to working here again.

Video Clip of The Mount Providence Implosion

Online Photo album of the project.