High Street #4: Phase 2 Construction Begins with the Demolition of the Old AJC and Gold Kist Buildings
I moved to High Street two years ago when the complex first opened and am a happy tenant. The nicely designed first phase has been so well managed by Windsor Communities that it satisfies as a complete village to walk and bike around in. Imagine doubling your already cool little community in size and amenities.
High Street was conceived to replace an under-developed commercial corridor from Hammond Drive to the Firestone lot located across Perimeter Center Parkway from Perimeter Mall’s west side. Three buildings were acquired with the land to construct a dynamic mixed-use village with the aim of becoming a highly valued destination area.
The attractive commercial high rise on Hillside Street was kept as an anchor. The former Gold Kist commodities brokerage and Atlanta Journal-Constitution buildings, both empty, were to be demolished. Gold Kist was the first to be knocked down by huge front loaders tearing away at the exterior and rebar.
I have documented High Street’s development with three previous web pages.
I photographed the teardown from my terrace across the street. Contractors, over a two- month period, tore all aluminum molding from the structure at one point, creating a pile that was three floors high and as long as the building.
The metal and glass exterior were stripped away by relentless front loaders. The machines chipped away at the rebar until a quarter-section was so weakened, it collapsed into a cloud of dust and pile of rubble.
Windsor mitigated the dust from the succession of collapses with powerful water cannons that sprayed the affected areas.
As soon as a quarter-section collapsed, the front-loaders were back chipping away at the next target area.
The front-loader operators impressed with skillful manipulation of their powerful machines that methodically dismantled the building.
It took only two days to demolish this structure that had stood for decades.
The machines reduced the building to the last quarter – Mother Nature finished their job.
A massive storm suddenly hit with a blast of wind and rain so great that the weakened structure quickly collapsed and saved the operators a lot of work. The intense rain was the ultimate water cannon and dust mitigator.
The debris will be cleaned up and trucked away. The new space provides an enhanced view that we welcome for the time being. I look forward to the completion of Phase 2 so much that the tear down and build-up process isn’t bothering me.