With a series of ear-piercing pops, nearly 200 pounds of dynamite brought down a portion of First Baptist Dallas in downtown this morning.
Cheers and whistles could be heard from a viewing area on the 14th floor of the Hartford Building where a small crowd including Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, First Baptist Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress and a bevy of photographers watched as four buildings were imploded.
A cloud of dust and debris filled the air, but thanks to the chilly and dense air, it was nearly clear within 15 minutes of the demolition, which is making way for a $115 million facility that will include a new sanctuary, an education building, a fountain plaza and 1 acre of public green space.
"There's no sadness," Jeffress said. "Just great memories."
A key concern during the implosion was to leave the church's historic sanctuary untouched, even though it was a mere 50 feet from the nearest building wired with explosives. Stained glass windows were boarded up and a barrier of dirt was placed to prevent debris from bouncing off the ground and onto the sanctuary.
As of 8:36 a.m., officials said the implosion went as planned and the sanctuary remains in good condition.
"There's a lot of excitement," said Leppert, a member of the church. "This says a lot about the church. It also says a lot about our city."
The mayor helped push the ceremonial button that brought the buildings down at 8:15 a.m., along with Jeffress and church chairman Mark Lovvorn.
"It's the most exciting day that I can remember in my adult life," Lovvorn said. Lovvorn is a lifelong First Baptist member, as were his parents. A hallway in the now-demolished Ruth Ray Hunt building had been named after his father, Martin Lovvorn.
But Lovvorn said he doesn't mind to see the hall destroyed because it will make way for better-to-navigate facilities.
One of the most common complaints about the four imploded buildings was that the layouts were confusing, especially for visitors.
"You had to leave breadcrumbs," Jeffress said. "There was no clear way in, no clear way out."
A short distance away in the Gables Republic Tower, a small group of church members gathered to watch the implosion. All other spectators were turned away at a police line and told to watch the implosion on TV instead. Views of the implosion were obstructed by surrounding buildings.
The project is touted as the most expensive Protestant church renovation in history. Funding for the project is from church member donations.
"We believe this is a testamony to the power of God, especially when you consider we had our fundraising campaign last year during some dark economic times," Jeffress said. "It cost a lot of money to build in downtown Dallas, but we believe the church has the most important mission of all."
At a news conference Oct. 27, both Leppert and Jeffress stressed the importance of having a strong church presence in downtown.
"There needs to be a vibrant evangelical church in the heart of the city," Jeffress said. "We're really going against the tide of churches that are going out to the suburbs.
"I've always believe and dreamed that this [planned] facility would be a spiritual oasis whose architecture would really match the message of Jesus."
"You've got the glass, you've got the fountains — it gives a very different feel," Leppert said of the project, which is expected to be completed in time for Easter 2013.
Leppert said the project will help bolster economic growth in the downtown area and make its landscape more inviting.
The oldest building imploded was the Burt Building, which was built in 1927. That building, along with the Ruth Ray Hunt building had become cumbersome for church staff and members as they were not originally built for church purposes. The age of the buildings had sparked safety and energy cost concerns, according to church officials.
An adjacent church building, the Truett Building, will be brought down with a wrecking ball sometime before construction of the new facility begins in January.
