Contractors begin demolition of 101-year-old building following partial collapse in Milwaukee's Harbor District
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Contractors made their first dent in the building at 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, Sept. 3, starting with the roof.
Two excavators, a large orange one with a grapple that's grabbing at the Cream City brick structure of the building, and a smaller red one that's shoveling the fallen debris.
A mister has been running daily since Tuesday, for dust suppression, and now an actual fire engine is being used by the contractors, with a ladder and hose to spray down the building.
Milwaukee's Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) told us the demolition permit was granted Thursday morning. That's three days since the city filed their emergency raze order for the National Warehouse building.
It collapsed Monday, Aug. 31, from what the DNS suspects was a structural failure.
The city worked Tuesday and Wednesday to expedite the permitting process as quickly as possible.
The property owner hired HM Brandt on Tuesday as the demolition contractors. They've been staged in the area since, waiting for the go-ahead.
DNS tells us this demolition process is not expected to take very long. There's a chance it could be completed by this time next week if not sooner. Once that's done and everything is cleaned up, they'll be able to further inspect the area.
No one is allowed on the National Warehouse Corporation's complex or at the adjoining building until everything is deemed safe.