The views around North Avenue and Techwood Drive are about to change dramatically in a few days, when a building emblematic of a former era comes crashing down.
At around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27, anyone in the vicinity of that intersection will hear a choreographed string of explosions, initiating a controlled collapse of the Roosevelt House. In less than one minute, the 17-story building named for the nation’s 32nd president will be reduced to a pile of rubble.
While no buildings will need to be evacuated, contracting crews will take measures to protect surrounding structures from debris and dust. For those who would like to watch the implosion, the Atlanta Housing Authority will have a viewing area set up behind Centennial Place Elementary School on Luckie Street.
Until last year, the building served as public housing for senior and disabled citizens. Atlanta — home of the first public housing development — is also the first major city to eliminate all of its large housing projects.
Demolition experts have spent several weeks in preparation, weakening the structure with precise drilling and cutting. The morning of the event, a security perimeter will be established, preventing traffic from entering the evacuation zone.
The following day, crews will begin hauling debris away. Site clearing is expected to take four to six weeks.