Drive South down Pearl Street, and you’ll arrive at a a pile of debris pouring out of the former facade of Memorial Auditorium. It’s sad to see the building in this state, but it’s necessary for the progress of the Harbor.
In order to bring the building down, the crew needs to bore a hole through the front of the building, which will clear a pathway for the heavy equipment that will eventually remove the 21 trusses that support the Auditorium. Once inside, the equipment will wreck its way into the basement, through what was once the floor under NHL ice, in order to reach the support beams from the bottom up. The trusses will be demolished starting at the corner that faces HSBC Arena and out towards the Harbor. The process will take several months.
According to Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation’s Communications Director Matt Davison, “We’re on schedule. In fact, we more than on schedule.” Davison fully expects to reach the project goal of bringing down the Audiorium by mid-May, and have the space clear by June.
If you would like to witness the progress of the demolition, the ECHDC recently introduced the “Harbor Cam,” a megapixel camera accessible through www.eriecanalharbor.com. The Harbor Cam features photography from high above the site, and includes video. Simply log onto their website and click on “Harbor Cam.”