Skip to Content

Watch LIVE: How long will take to bring down the ‘Leaning Tower of Dallas?’

The Leaning Tower of Dallas.
KTVT/CNN
The Leaning Tower of Dallas.

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA) -- Another day, another bit of progress made on taking down the 'Leaning Tower of Dallas.'

But as day three of the demolition process continued Wednesday, the question remained: How long will it actually take crews to bring down the core shaft of anĀ 11-story building that was supposed to have implodedĀ more than a week ago?

Crews don't appear to have a solid answer to that question, though after initially saying it would be about three to four days, they are now saying it could potentially take "weeks" to bring the tower down, a news release from De La Vega Development, Nabors Demo and Ashler Projects said.Ā 

A new wrecking ball was brought in Tuesday afternoon, and crews seemed to be having better luck after a large chunk of the building fell to the ground shortly thereafter.

Nabors Demolition confirmed to ABC affiliate WFAA that the new wrecking ball is the same weight (5,600 pounds) as the one initially used Monday ā€“ itā€™s just a different shape. They would not elaborate on why the shape of the wrecking ball was different.

The change came after the public had a field day with the image of the original wrecking ball, which to the untrained eye looked to be rather small and somewhat ineffective against the tower.

The original ball even had its own Twitter account made, though the account was suspended by Twitter sometime Tuesday.

Nabors Demo said the wrecking ball alone is not supposed to demolish whatā€™s left of the building. They told WFAA that the wrecking ball will take the remaining structure down four to five floors. Then crews will use a high-reach excavator, which is already on-site, to finish the job.

Some have wondered why a bigger crane wasnā€™t brought in to handle a bigger wrecking ball. Nabors Demo told WFAA that due to ā€œsize constraints of the siteā€ and ā€œcrane availability,ā€ crews had to use the current crane and wrecking ball.

The building is the former Affiliated Computer Servicesbuilding, according to information released on Feb. 21. Xerox announced it was acquiring ACS in Sept. 2009, and in 2015 Xerox hired commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield to market the building.

But it's now known for something else entirely.

The 'Leaning Tower of Dallas' became an immediate icon across the city after the core shaft failed to collapse during an implosion on Feb. 16.

People from all over have visited the area in Uptown Dallas since to take photos with the tower. Even a petition to save it and various memorabilia like artwork and t-shirts has been created.Ā 

While the public got time to take their photos, crews were working to bring in the crane and wrecking ball to begin the process of taking the tower down piece by piece.

It took about a week to get the necessary equipment, with Monday being the first demolition day in what had become a highly anticipated public event.

The size of the wrecking ball and slow nature of the process has only exacerbated public interest, making the entire demolition rather infamous across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Crews are working to clear the area to make room for The Central, a $2.5 billion development made up of residential, hotel, restaurant, entertainment and retail space that will take up 5 million square feet. 

ā€œAnything that makes people happy, makes people feel good, will be a part of this project,ā€ Developer Artemio De La Vega told WFAA. ā€œDallas deserves first-class and thatā€™s our mission, our mission is to deliver first-class to the citizens of Dallas.ā€

An art exhibit is also now part of the plan for the development-- it will feature photos and other memorabilia of the now-infamous leaning tower.

Article Topic Follows: Texas

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

ABC News

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content