Community Corner

State Sets Up Viewing Area for Psych Center Smokestack Demolition

Though officials will patrol many of the vacant buildings to make sure nobody tries to get a closer look at the explosion.

With the demolition of the famed Kings Park Psychiatric Center smokestack set for Wednesday, state officials said they will set up a viewing area for locals and visitors planning to watch the big explosion.

According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the public will be able to watch the demolition from the grass in front of the Old Firehouse on Kings Park Boulevard, while a media area will be set up in the parking lot of the Old Firehouse.

The public will be allowed to park along the shoulder on the boulevard, as well as in the vacant lots at the OHM Building and Buliding 90.

Find out what's happening in Kings Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For safety reasons, and to contain dust from the implosion, a 1,000-foot safety zone will be taped off and no pedestrians will be allowed past those markers. Police, ambulance workers, firefighters and other state personnel will be on hand as well.

Workers also plan to patrol Buildings 91, 93, 41, 42, and 43 to make sure nobody tries to get a closer view of the demolition from any of those vantage points.

Find out what's happening in Kings Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Community Air Monitoring Program workers will also be on hand to check air quality both upwind and downwind of the explosion.

As for the timeline, the state said it will close down roads at 10 a.m., including Old Dock Road from St. Johnland Road to Flynn Road, sections of Kings Park Boulevard and the hiking trail from Flynn Road to the Tiffany Field soccer field. Then, at noon the 1,000-foot perimeter will be enforced. Officials will blow warning sirens at 10 minutes, 5 minutes and 1 minutes before the implosion at 2 p.m.

In June 2012, New York State Parks Director Ron Foley told Patch that dynamite would be used for the blast, which is expected to last about five seconds.

He also said special fencing will be set up around the smokestack to catch all debris and dust that might be generated by the demolition.

The smokestack implosion is part of a multimillion project to abate and demolish 19 buildings on the grounds of what once of one the biggest psychiatric hospitals in the state.


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