Candlestick Park will not be imploded after all. Instead, the firm that plans to redevelop the site says it will demolish the old ballpark "in sections," beginning work by the end of this month.
A member of the Bayview Hill Neighborhood Association told NBC Bay Area the city issued a permit on Wednesday authorizing constructions crews to dismantle the stadium rather than imploding it.
Residents who live near the old ballpark are worried an implosion would spread toxic dust into their neighborhoods.
The developer, Lennar Urban, officially announced plans Friday to withdraw its request to implode the stadium, saying in a press release it is in the best interest of the city.
To demolish the stadium, workers will use high-reach excavators with pulverizing attachments to bring down the stadium a piece a time, the developer said in its release.
Lennar Urban said the process should take about two months and will begin before the end of January.
Once Candlestick is gone, the developer plans to build Candlestick Point, described as a mixed-use development, anchored by an outlet mall that “will include more than 6,000 homes, a diversity of commercial offerings, including neighborhood retailers, a restaurant village, an African diaspora-themed marketplace, movie theaters, a performance venue and hotel.”
Sports
Candlestick Park was vacated after last season when the San Francisco 49ers moved to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The San Francisco Giants played at the ballpark from 1960 until 1999.
