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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Switzer Building Coming Down Slowly

On the first night of wrecking the Switzer Building on Laclede's Landing, the going was slow. The crane operator knocked loose a few columns and triggered one small collapse, but stopped wrecking by midnight. There are many nights ahead this week before the memorable painted Switzer signs on the south and north elevations disappear, and more time before the primary elevation on 1st Street is gone forever.

Several people gathered on the upper level of the riverfront parking garage to watch the wrecking.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So sad. Such a great building wasn't taken care of before mother nature did her thing.

Anonymous said...

I was there and it is a sad site to see this once beautiful building being struck by the wrecking ball. The storm might have been the final blow (although an insurance claim disallowed is the real final blow) the years of neglect by previous owners brought this moment. I too have many Switzer memories that will never fade, the bags of cherry and black licorice, the aroma downtown as a child and the spelling bee winners at my grade school receiving a case of licorice as the prize. Luckily you can still buy Switzer's licorice and maybe, some of the architectural elements of the building will be included on what replaces her...