Overview
- Demolition crews brought down the 23‑story former Mandarin Oriental on Sunday morning at about 8:30 a.m., with the building collapsing in under 20 seconds in what officials called Miami’s largest implosion in more than a decade.
- Safety plans kept residents within an 800‑foot zone sheltering indoors with doors and windows closed, and the Brickell Key bridge was shut to traffic from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. after nearly two years of planning for the blast.
- Following Sunday’s blast, nearby residents reported a dense dust cloud, coughing, and damage at the St. Louis condos where video showed debris shattering a lobby door, and one resident estimated cleanup costs in the six figures.
- The contractor said hazardous materials were removed before demolition and described reports of damage as minor glass issues that the team addressed.
- Swire Properties says debris removal will take months as it prepares The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, with a smaller hotel in one tower and 228 condos in the other already marketed at multimillion‑dollar prices, and completion targeted for 2030.