A nearly century-old warehouse that was being demolished to make way for Columbia University's expansion into Harlem collapsed on Thursday, killing a construction worker and injuring two others, the city's top buildings official said.

A preliminary city investigation found that workers cut a structural beam supporting the remains of what had been a two-story warehouse on West 131st Street. The section crumpled, burying the men in a cascade of steel beams, bricks and reinforced concrete.

"Once they cut that structural beam, the site became unstable," Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said.

Willy Katende, who lives across the street from the site, said he was in his kitchen when heard a loud noise. "I saw bricks just falling on the workers," he said. "It sounded like a…

The old Amway Arena caved in with a series of explosions and a rumble that shook downtown Sunday morning, drawing cheers from hundreds of people who gathered to watch the demise of an Orlando icon.

The bulk of the $102 million building, which opened just 23 years ago, came down as scheduled at 7:30 a.m.Sirens warned the crowd moments before the first explosion.

The implosion started with a quick series of small blasts that shattered 78 columns around the building's perimeter. While the ground rumbled nearby, spectators could see no immediate movement from the building at that point.

But seconds later, louder charges went off at the top corners of the building, severing the roof steel. Flashes of flame sprouted from the corners,…

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - Three smokestacks that have been a St. Petersburg landmark for more than 50 years were imploded Tuesday morning.

The P.L. Bartow Steam Power Plant smokestacks, each standing 300 feet tall, were demolished at 10 a.m. The implosion lasted about 10 seconds and brought the stacks down to the side, much like a tree falling.

"Demolition work is inherently very dangerous and explosive demolition is dangerous as well," Progress Energy spokesperson Suzanne Grant told 10 News. "Back in June, the demolition was a different type. This is using explosives. That was a controlled collapse where they were weakening structures and pulling it down. It's really a different thing, but the safety is paramount as always."

The nearby Weedon Island Preserve was closed…

TEXAS CITY, TEXAS - A fixture along the skyline of the San Leon area came down on Saturday.

Demolition crews from Cherry Demolition and Dykon Blasting Corp. brought down the last tower of the mothballed P.H. Robinson power plant.

Last year, NRG, which had purchased the plant as part of an acquisition of Texas Genco, announced it had sold the property to Kemah Ventures. County tax records, however, show NRG still owns the property.

“You’re talking some prime property there,” Don Carroll, the city planner for Texas City, said. “But there are not any plans on the table, yet, for what could be developed out there.”

The property is within the city limits of Texas City. The area has been viewed as a good place for high-end residential…

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA  - The P.L. Bartow Steam Power Plant on Weedon Island will bid St. Petersburg an explosive goodbye Tuesday as its remaining smokestacks are demolished by Progress Energy.

The smokestacks, which have been a local landmark for more than 50 years, will be destroyed at 10 a.m.

The implosion, officials said, will be quick, lasting less than 10 seconds. Resulting noise and vibrations will be "well below levels that would cause any type of disruption," according to Progress Energy that compared the disturbance to a brief rock concert.

The ground will not noticeably shake beyond the 1,000 foot zone from which Progress Energy has banned the public during the detonation, officials said.

Demolition work had been under way at the plant in June, when part of the…

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO - The nearly 84-year-old Fort Steuben Bridge, once the primary link between Weirton and Steubenville, went down in a blaze of glory this morning.

Just before 7:15 a.m., the Joseph B. Fay Co. and CDI detonated nearly 500 explosive charges, sending a fireball streaking from Ohio to West Virginia, followed by a bigger one, dropping the 1,255-foot truss into the Ohio River and sending the bridge's two towers falling toward their opposing river banks.

In all, it took less than five seconds for the span, which has been closed to traffic for nearly three years due to structural problems, to fall into the water, leaving behind a shroud of dark smoke and a smattering of applause and cheers from the spectators who woke up early to witness the demolition from a hillside alongside…