Cheers and tears flow during implosion of Pasadena's historic bank tower
PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- Some cheered and others cried as the tallest building in Pasadena came crumbling down Sunday morning.
The abandoned First Pasadena State Bank Building on Southmore was imploded, while hundreds stood and watched.
WATCH: Historic Pasadena bank tower implodes
From the time the dynamite was lit until the time it was a pile of rubble and a cloud of dust was a matter of seconds.
Many people said they did not know what to expect watching it, but their adrenaline was high when they started hearing the pops.
Lucy Turoff stood in the street and cried. She remembered going to the bank building as child with her mother.
"I think that she went down elegantly," Turoff said. "She folded like a fan. She had dignity until the end. She will be very much missed. There will be a hole in the sky."
Don Dickerson worked in the building for 20 years. He said it used to be the "heart of the city."
He remembered the Christmas parades rolling by the building and the many famous people who stopped by.
Dickerson said most of the current bankers in Pasadena got their start in that building.
"It was kind of a funeral so to speak, but things good come from it," Dickerson said.
The demolition of the building represents growth in the city, according to Mayor Jeff Wagner.
The Pasadena Town Square Mall across the street will soon undergo renovations. The owner said it will get an updated appearance and have free activities for the community.
It is undecided what will go in place of the bank building. The Pasadena Economic Development Corporation said they have a lot of interest.
