Delicate Dallas demolition scheduled for this weekend.
This Saturday, the First Baptist Church in Dallas is set to implode 56,000 square metres (600,000 square feet) of buildings without scratching its 120-year-old sanctuary. Heavy equipment is ready to roll on Federal Street and back hoes and dynamite will bring down six buildings for First Baptist Dallas. The landmark sanctuary from 1890 will remain.
“I was saved in this building when I was five, baptized here,” said Pastor Robert Jeffress. “[I] preached my first sermon here, and many of our members have that kind of connection.”
Jeffress made it clear the worship center is to be saved at all costs, which presented an interesting challenge for Dallas demolition since one of the buildings is attached with common walls and reinforced steel.
“It will really be dismantling, kind of a piece by piece process to remove the Truett building from the existing sanctuary,” Jeffress said.
The implosion could kick up eight to 12 inches of dust across several blocks. Plywood will protect the stained glass from flying debris, and heavy felt drapes and plastic wraps should prevent the dust from coating the church pews.
“Everything has been well thought out and well planned and it looks like we are good to go,” Jeffress said.
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