Miami — A hotel in one of Miami’s most exclusive locations is scheduled to be demolished Sunday to make way for something bigger.
Demolition experts will conduct a controlled collapse of the former Mandarin Oriental, Miami hotel on Brickell Key, a man-made island located at the mouth of the Miami River, across from downtown. Officials said this represented the largest internal explosion in Miami in more than a decade.
The 23-storey building, which opened 25 years ago, is expected to collapse in seconds after an explosion scheduled to occur at 8:30 a.m. According to Swire Properties, the demolition will pave the way for the groundbreaking of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower ultra-luxury hotel and residential development scheduled for completion in 2030.
The developers said that the process comes after nearly two years of planning and coordination with specialized contractors and the city. Implosion was chosen as the safest and most efficient way to maintain the project schedule while minimizing disruption and ensuring the safety of the Brickell Key community.