But Robinson said the facility served its purpose, exposing a beyond-the-monuments side of Washington to millions of professionals and members of national associations. "It really did put the city on the map," Robinson said. "People were able to come to this city and see it in a different light."
Nearly 20 million people have attended events or were part of exhibitions at the building from 1983 to 2003, he said.
Officials and visitors tour the gutted center. Crews spent weeks removing drywall, masonry and other materials that cause dust.
(Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)
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But with the opening in March 2003 of the new convention center -- three times the size of the old one at 2.3 million square feet -- officials faced some options in clearing the 10-acre site.
Most buildings in Washington are demolished by conventional, nonexplosive methods, relying on specialized equipment such as excavators to chomp the building down bit by bit. Convention center officials said an implosion is about $1 million cheaper than conventional means and is less of a disruption on nearby businesses over the long run.
Goel Construction Services of the District was chosen as the contractor for the $6.7 million demolition project, and Wrecking Corp. is a subcontractor.
Crews have been stripping the structure in recent weeks, removing drywall, masonry and other materials that cause dust. One recent afternoon, as hard-hat-wearing unbuilders swarmed around the site, large black drapes lined with chain-link fencing covered missing sections of walls. About the only sign that the gutted, carpet-free building was once a convention center was a large bathroom sign depicting male and female figures.
Scattered throughout the building are 24 battery-operated transmitters, part of an experiment aimed at improving emergency radio communications being conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology.
After the implosion, a six-month cleanup will ensue. Crews will remove the remaining south section and loading dock wall using cranes and excavators. They are being left up to provide a buffer for nearby businesses, Anderson said. In June, with the demolition work complete, the site will be turned into a parking lot while the city finalizes its redevelopment plans.
