GOVERNORS ISLAND — One of Governors Island’s largest buildings will soon be turned to dust.
Building 877, once an apartment complex for the families of Coast Guard officers who lived on the former military base, will be blown up early Sunday morning to make way for 38 acres of the Island’s new park and sports fields, officials said Tuesday.
More than 250 pounds of explosives will be used for the controlled implosion, said Leslie Koch, the president of Trust for Governors Island, during a tour of the soon-to-be demolished structure.
The entire demolition of the 11-story building will take less than 25 seconds, but, said Koch, “it will be a sight to see.”
It's also a rare, FDNY officials overseeing the demolition said Tuesday — the last time a New York City building was imploded was in 2003.
The detonation will start at 7:37 a.m. and be visible from the Staten Island Ferry, for those interested in seeing a massive building go up in smoke, Koch said.
The pile of concrete — which will amount to about 25 feet of debris — will be recycled back into the overhauled grounds, Koch said.
"When you're playing softball on these fields, enjoying the new outdoor space on this spot, the building will still, in a way, be here," Koch said.
The new acres of park, slated to be ready by the fall, is the first piece of the Island’s massive overhaul into a year-round destination with expansive new public spaces and redeveloped cultural and commercial buildings.
Governors Island’s summer season began May 25 and runs every weekend through September 29.
