Macy’s building in Houston goes out with a bang

The landmark Macy's building in Houston, Texas, had an explosive ending this weekend. The video captures the 10-story historic site turning to rubble in just 10 seconds.

“I was sad to see it close,” one observer told KHOU at a watch party in a nearby high rise. “I was excited to see it go boom,” said another. The two were among hundreds of spectators who turned up in the early morning from a safe distance to watch the Macy’s store go out with a bang.

The demolition of the 66-year-old structure had been planned for months, according to the station. Officials set up a nine-block safety zone to ensure nobody would be injured from the blast.

Nearby buildings boarded up windows with plywood. And nearby drains were covered to keep out the dust. Small fires broke out after the building came down, but were quickly extinguished, according to WTRK.

"Everything went according to the plan," Houston Fire Department spokesman Kenyatta Parker told Chron.com.

In 2006 Macy's took over the lease from Foley’s, a department store that had been around since the 1940s. The building owner decided to raze it and replace it with a modern office tower, leading to the demolition day, Chron.com reported, and also indicated that Houston hopes to open a Macy's downtown.

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