#StacksDown

East Toledo Acme plant smokestacks imploded

The first of two smokestacks being imploded of the three at the decommissioned Acme Power Plant at the East Toledo Marina District.

East Toledo smokestacks imploded 7-16 from THE BLADE on Vimeo.

With the push of a button detonating 86 pounds of dynamite, two brick smokestacks remaining from a long-closed East Toledo power plant crashed to the ground Wednesday.

The implosions drew an interested crowd of several hundred people to Tribute Park.

PHOTO GALLERY: Acme smokestacks tumble

Among them was Robert Conley, 9, who made his family hang around long after the dust and the crowds cleared to request a brick from one of the old stacks.

“Boom,” was young Conley’s comment.

The two smokestacks that once poured forth smoke from the coal-fired Acme power plant that powered the city of Toledo came down today at 12:30 p.m.

The Veterans' Glass City Skyway was temporarily closed for the implosion, and the city restricted access to a large area around the site, including the river, to protect the public from debris and dust.

Mayor D. Michael Collins said the eradication of the two obsolete smokestacks were major milestones for his administration.

“I looked at this and I said it looks like Stuttgart, Germany, 1947,” said Mr. Collins. “I said I want those towers down, the debris gone, and I would like to see it done before Labor Day and I think that’s going to happen.”

The mayor, assisted by state Rep. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) and Bill Buckley, chairman of the National Museum of the Great Lakes, pushed down on a dynamite plunger at the signal, “Fire in the hole,” at the same time that the contractors operated the real remote control detonation.

Remaining after the demolition is a third tower, which will be reduced by about one-third of its 298-foot height. The mayor’s hope is to paint and decorate the remaining brick structure to look like a lighthouse, and then install a revolving red and green lamp, symbolic of the lamps used on boats to indicate port and starboard.

The city contracted with B&B Wrecking of Cleveland, which subcontracted with Dykon Explosive Demolition Corp. of Tulsa, Okla.

Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419--724-6058 or an Twitter @TomFTroy.

View from Eastside as East Toledo smokestacks imploded 7-16 from THE BLADE on Vimeo.