First phase of demolition at Downtown Plaza site begins

THERE IT GOES. THIS MORNING, WE SAW THE FIRST VISUAL SIGNS OF THE DOWNTOWN PLAZA DEMOLITION MAKING WAY FOR THE NEW ARENA. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF WORK STILL UNDER WAY. AND A LOT OF WORK AHEAD. ALL OF THIS WORD HAS A LOT OF FOLKS DOWNTOWN SAYING THE DREAM OF THE NEW ARENA FINALLY SEEMS REAL. LET'S GIVE YOU A LOOK AT IT FROM THE GROUND. THIS BUILDING, THE SOUTH END OF DOWNTOWN PALMA, IT LOOKS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM THIS TIME YESTERDAY. SOME PEOPLE MADE A SPECIAL TRIP DOWNTOWN TO WATCH THIS GO ON TODAY. THEY SAID THERE WERE TIMES OVER THE YEARS THAT HE DID NOT THINK THIS DAY WOULD EVER COME. PIECE BY PIECE, WALLS CAME DOWN. THE LOW, A PILE OF DEBRIS THAT USED TO BE ASKED BELOW -- BELOW , A PILE OF DEBRIS THAT USED TO BE THE WALLS. NOW PEOPLE HERE ARE SEEING CONCRETE RESULTS. CREWS STARTED DEMOLISHING WALLS ON THE INSIDE THAT COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WORK LIKE THIS IS VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THEY TOOK A TRAIN FROM ORANGE VEIL JUST TO SEE IT. I WANTED TO SHOW HER THE DEMOLITION, WHAT WAS THERE. AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK. THE BEFORE AND AFTER? , THE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER. LONG-OVERDUE AND FANTASTIC, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS RELATED TO KEEPING THE KINGS AND HAVING A MORE CENTRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY. TRAFFIC ON L STREET WAS EERILY AFFECTED TODAY. THERE ARE NO -- WAS BARELY AFFECTED TODAY. THERE ARE NO DETOURS. THE SACRAMENTO KINGS WERE ODDLY SILENT TODAY ABOUT THE SIDE OF THEIR NEW ARENA. A TEAM SPOKESMAN DECLINED TO SPEAK ON CAMERA ABOUT THE DEMOLITION. SOME PEOPLE TELL US THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE USE OF WATER DURING THE DEMOLITION. ALL THE PEOPLE GETTING A LOOK AT ALL OF THIS FROM THEIR DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDINGS, HERE IS AN EVEN BETTER VIEW FROM DAVID ALLEN WHO IS UP ABOVE US IN LIVECOPTER3. HOW DOES THIS LOOK DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SAW THIS MORNING? VASTLY DIFFERENT. FROM BOBCATS ON THE ROOF TO DRAINS AND -- CRANES AND WRECKING BALLS ON THE GROUND. THE WHOLE SOUTHERN SIDE AND ALL OF THE WESTERN SIDE NOW ARE PRETTY MUCH GONE. THOSE WERE SOLID WALLS THIS MORNING. YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT HAS BEEN PEELED AWAY. A LITTLE BIT LIKE A 90 AND, IF YOU WILL. -- LIKE AN ONION, IF YOU WILL. A LOT OF PROGRESS BEING MADE REALLY FAST. I GET TO SEE THIS EVERYDAY. IT IS A GREAT VANTAGE POINT.

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First phase of demolition at Downtown Plaza site begins