Overview
- The 23‑story hotel on Brickell Key came down in a planned, controlled implosion that drew large crowds of onlookers.
- Officials enforced an 800‑foot exclusion zone that covered nearby condos including St. Louis, Brickell Key One, Isola, and Brickell Key Centre, with residents told to stay inside and bring balcony furniture indoors.
- Police closed the Brickell Key bridge for a set window, rerouted westbound drivers to Eighth Street, and blocked eastbound departures after the closure while officers directed traffic on site.
- BG Group Demolition sequenced the drop in two steps, sending the tower down first and the garage second in what the firm described as a single choreographed event.
- Developers plan to replace the hotel with The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, a two‑tower luxury project that includes a smaller hotel and high‑end homes and is expected to finish by 2030.