YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Demolition began Friday afternoon on the Realty Tower in downtown Youngstown six weeks after a deadly blast made the building structurally unsafe and in “danger of imminent collapse.”
Realty Tower, which houses a Chase Bank, plus offices and residences, exploded at 2:44 p.m. on May 10. Chase Bank employee Akil Drake, 27, was killed, while nine others were injured. Part of the ground floor collapsed into its basement and sent the facade across the street. Bricks, glass and other debris littered the sidewalk outside the 13-story building.
Surveillance video from inside the building shows moments just prior to the blast, as residents hastily evacuated the scene amid the fire alarm.
The explosion is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which stated in its preliminary report that the deadly blast happened minutes after a gas pipeline was cut by a scrap-removal crew who were not aware that the line was pressurized. The crew was there "to remove and relocate utilities in preparation for a city road improvement project."
Investigators are still working to determine why the pipe was pressurized.
On June 10, Youngstown officials ordered the evacuation of the nearby International Towers and DoubleTree Hotel building amid fears of a Realty Tower collapse. City leaders said last week that enough of the Realty Tower should be demolished by Aug. 2 and that the two shuttered buildings could reopen by that day.
Youngstown NBC affiliate 21 News WFMJ shared a statement from Realty Tower owner YO Properties 47 LLC after demolition began on Friday:
"This is not what we imagined for Realty Tower. When you restore buildings as we do, it is with the intent to create life and restore vibrancy. It is why we exhausted every possibility of saving this building. This isn't what we want, and this isn't the easy solution but we must do it to provide a path forward.
"We didn't envision this building's story would come to such a premature and sudden end. We mourn the loss of Akil Drake's life. We mourn the loss of the homes and lives that filled this beloved building. We will always mourn, but we will cherish Realty Tower's legacy by gathering the pieces of this rubble to create something new. The soul of Youngstown isn't being demolished today, it remains as does our commitment to it, the people of Youngstown."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Previous Reporting:
- Youngstown apartment building could reopen soon following nearby deadly explosion
- Youngstown building explosion: Mayor says owners of Realty Tower have until July 5 to begin demolishing building
- NTSB issues preliminary report on deadly building explosion in Youngstown
- Updates: 1 found dead after explosion at Chase Bank building in Youngstown