Controlled implosion moves SomeraRoad project forward in West Bottoms
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Developers want people in and around the West Bottoms to know that if they hear a series of small explosions or the rumble of a building coming down, it’s all part of the plan.
SomeraRoad is using a controlled implosion to bring down the old Weld Wheel building, making way for a new construction project.
“The controlled implosion makes the most sense at this specific situation because it is so close to the Union Pacific rail tracks,” said SomeraRoad Vice President of Development Grant Hromas.
Hromas says it took roughly a year of coordination between various entities like the railroad, FAA, Kansas City, Missouri, and KCPD to find the right window for the implosion.
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Crews have a relatively short window early Sunday to bring the building down and 20 hours to clear any debris that might fall near the tracks before the next train is expected.
“The sound that you’re going to hear is more the building hitting the ground as it’s falling,” Hromas said.
The implosion is a relatively unique early step in a massive redevelopment effort that could play out over the next 15 years in the West Bottoms.
“We recognize it’s going to take this kind of development to really transform the area,” said Historic West Bottoms Association Board Member Bruce Holloway.
Holloway is referencing the roughly $525 million plan to bring more than 1,100 apartments, 40 hotel rooms, 100,000 square feet of retail, and 168,000 square feet of office space to about 17 acres, and about a dozen buildings.
The goal is to bring residents, commercial, and office space to the neighborhood to activate it around the clock and each day of the week.
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“In 15 to 20 years it’s going to be known as one of the established neighborhoods in Kansas City,” Hromas said. “The same way somebody speaks of the River Market or Crossroads, we expect that to be the case in the West Bottoms.”
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