PROVO, Utah — More than six months after a new City Hall was opened to the public in Provo, demolition began on the old city center, which was built in 1972.
Take a look inside the new Provo City Hall
The old city hall was built to serve a population of 55,000 and city leaders say that after 50 years in service, the building no longer met the needs of residents.
In addition, FOX 13 News previously reported the building had leaking pipes, brick and concrete falling off the building and safety officials deemed the building was unsafe in the event of an earthquake.
On Wednesday, Mayor Michelle Kaufusi took the first swing to begin the demolition work, which is expected to last about three months.
Video showed an excavator tearing into the building, slowly ripping down a section of the roof as people stood to the side, watching.
“The tearing down of Provo’s old City Center is the final step in moving forward with our visionary redevelopment of downtown Provo,” said Kaufusi in a press release. “We now begin the process of determining the ‘best and highest use’ of this land for our citizens by rebuilding Fire Station 1 as the first phase of our efforts.”
Further plans for the entire spot have not yet been announced, but officials said Fire Station 1 will be a "crucial part for the redevelopment."
The new city hall building is five stories tall and 204,000 square feet, a noticeable improvement from the old space.
