What was Flint’s tallest building from 1968 until 2013, the 19-story Genesee Towers, was imploded in about fifteen seconds on December 22, 2013.
A tribute to Flint’s economic boom at the time, Genesee Towers opened in 1968, with Genesee Merchants Bank & Trust Company as its primary tenant. The 45-year-old building was not occupied for past fifteen years.
Approximately 1,000 pounds of dynamite created thundering booms that echoed throughout downtown Flint for a few seconds. The Genesee Towers Implosion took just over 15 seconds and the building fell, as planned, onto itself, creating a pile of rubble about four stories tall.
Contract Drilling & Blasting, a nationally recognized implosion firm, executed the demolition.
The demolition of Genesee Towers is a significant first step in making way for the construction of an Exploration Park. The project coincides with the redevelopment of the neighboring Flint Journal properties that will house the new Flint Farmers Market, MSU Public Health program, lofts and retail.
