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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Sixteen thousand tons of Bethlehem steel collapsed on Sunday in a matter of seconds, as the demolition team imploded in Martin Tower, the former world headquarters of the dead steel.
Crowds gathered to witness the demolition of Pennsylvania's largest building, a 21-story monolith that opened at the height of Bethlehem Steel's power and profitability, but remained vacant for a long time. dozen years after the bankruptcy of the second largest US steelmaker.
The explosives destroyed the steel supports of the Martin Tower and crumpled the 47-year-old building that had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places despite its relatively young age. The implosion, which took 16 seconds, created a thick plume of dust that persisted for several minutes.
Tyler Kent, whose father worked at Bethlehem Steel for 46 years and raised 11 children, said his heart stopped when he watched the building fall. His father and other members of his family were proud to work for the industrial giant who armed the US military and helped shape horizons across the country.
"Seeing him come down made me a tear. I did not think it would touch me emotionally, but I just can not imagine it's gone. It's so sad, "said Kent, who could see the tower from his home.
The current owners of Martin Tower have spent years trying to redevelop the 101-meter (332-foot) structure – the highest in the densely populated Pennsylvania area, which includes the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton – but has finally concluded that it was more logical to hit the bottom and start again. The plans include a $ 200 million expansion with medical offices, retail stores, a restaurant, a convenience store, a hotel and 528 apartments.
Bethlehem Steel was a major supplier of ships and armaments to the US Army during the Second World War, and its steel was in the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge and many other monuments.
The company moved into its new headquarters in 1972, shortly before the US steel industry plunged into a severe recession. Bethlehem Steel, which employed more than 120,000 people at the opening of the Martin Tower, declared bankruptcy in 2001 and closed two years later.
For some, the tower – built in the shape of a cross to maximize the number of corner desks – symbolized the excess of business.
"That's where the workers never got any money," said Fran Maiatico, whose father worked at Bethlehem Steel. She was one of hundreds of people who gathered Sunday several blocks from the building to watch him go down.
Leonard Gentilcore, 88, a retired structural designer from Bethlehem Steel who worked for Martin Tower, said he did not care about his passing. He added that he had associated the building with disconnected corporate executives who had helped propel Bethlehem Steel into the ground.
But his son, Mike Gentilcore, 49, a former metals researcher at Bethlehem Steel, said, "It breaks my heart" that an important part of the company's history is gone. He remembered looking out the window of the tower when he was a child and working on it later.
"It's the end of an era and I will miss seeing it there," he said.
The company's flagship facility, Bethlehem, located less than 3 km from the Martin Tower, was redeveloped as a casino and entertainment destination 10 years ago.
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