Ford plant demolition officially underway

ST. PAUL, Minn. - As far as demolition countdowns go, this one was not visually overwhelming.

No plunger, no dynamite or explosions... just a piece of heavy equipment dropping a claw into a structure and officially signaling the start of demolition on the old Ford plant in St. Paul Monday morning.

"While it is sad that we have lost the Ford plant, the future for this site is incredibly bright," said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. "We envision a very bright, mixed use development with housing, with jobs created on this site, done in an environmentally friendly manner."

Ford Site Manager Mike Hogan promised that the demolition process would wind up some time in 2014, but won't make any guarantees due to Minnesota's unpredictable climate and changing working conditions. He did say that strict hours of operation have been put in place, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., to minimize the impact on residents of the surrounding neighborhood.

Hogan also said that certain features of the plant, like lighting and carved wood interiors, may be saved and re-used on the new development to preserve Ford plant history.

The paint building will be the first one reduced to rubble: Equipment and hazardous material have already been removed, and all non-essential utilities turned off.

The St. Paul Ford plant ran for 86 years, employing more than 2,000 people at its peak. Mayor Coleman called the plant "a solid path to the middle class" for thousands of families during Ford's 86-year run in St. Paul.

Ford does not yet have a buyer for the 150 acre site.

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Ford plant demolition officially underway