DETROIT – The former Park Avenue Hotel was demolished Saturday morning as part of the construction of a new Red Wings hockey arena north of downtown Detroit.
Watch: Raw video of Park Avenue Hotel implosion
The vacant historic hotel was built in the 1920s.
The Detroit Historic District Commission voted last month in favor of the hotel being imploded.
Olympia Development spokesman Doug Kuiper says imploding the 13-story building reduces demolition time from three months to one morning.
The $450 million, 20,000-seat arena is expected to open in 2017. The Wings currently play at Joe Louis Arena, which opened in 1979.
Kuiper said construction of deep foundations began last week. Excavation should be completed by the end of July.