A date has been set for the implosion of a Philadelphia Housing Authority high-rise apartment building.
The Queen Lane Apartments at 301 W. Queen Lane in the Germantown section of the city will be demolished on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 14, housing authority officials tell NBC10.com. The date was announced at a community meeting on Thursday night.
The charges are set to be set off at 7:15 a.m. that Sunday morning, officials said. Residents living within a two-block radius of the 16-story, 119 unit high-rise will be evacuated from their homes starting at 4:30 a.m. that day.
Nearby homeowners will be required to stay inside their homes until the demolition dust cloud dissipates.
The apartment building is being demolished to make way for 55 house-sized rental units. They will feature single and family sized dwellings, officials say. Plans call for the homes to make a U-shaped layout around the Kelly Playground and a potter's field, which are currently located behind and beside the tower.
According to the PHA, the potter's field dates back to 1755 and was a burial place for strangers, African-Americans and mixed-race minorities.
PHA head Kelvin Jeremiah told NewsWorks in March that he is "looking [forward] to pressing the button to tear down" the building.
Housing authority employees plan to go door-to-door on Saturdays between now and the implosion to answer resident's questions. A hotline has also been set up at 215.684.3001.
