Video: Notts TV’s live coverage of the moment demolition officially started
Demolition of the Broadmarsh car park and bus station is officially underway after a 62-year-old retired nursery teacher swung the first sledgehammer.
Joy Rice from Bulwell impressed the public and judges with a poem about the landmark and took the first swing 11am on Monday to start the main phase of demolition.
After the ceremony she was given the sledgehammer to keep.
Joy said: “It was exciting – it should have gone with the first blow but I’ve never held a sledgehammer before.
“They were going to engrave the sledgehammer with my name but they haven’t – so it looks like I’m going to have to change my name to Genuine Hickory the makers!
“It’ll be exciting once it’s gone and something better will be in its place.
“It’s had its day but its now shabby and got to go – I used to go past it everyday in the 70s and 80s and it was an eyesore then.”
The demolition contractors have a six month window to complete the destruction and are confident they will get it done in time.
Rob Sharman, head of business development and frameworks at GF Tomlinson Building Limited, said: “Traffic management plans have been in place to ensure minimal disruption to commuters around the Broadmarsh.
“The public will see obvious signs of the demolition in the next two to three weeks along with a lot of trucks coming in and out of the site.
“Demolition won’t be complete for another six months – that’s the contract period we have and that’s when it will be finished by.”
Leader of Nottingham City Council Jon Collins is happy to see demolition work get underway.
He said: “Within just a few years, people will see a complete transformation of this part of the city and I know many of people have wanted to see this happen for a number of years.
“It will be knocked down in six months and then there’s the design and building to start – there’s going to be two or three years of work and construction but it will be worth it.
“If we want change then it’s something we will have to deal with – it is one of the ugliest buildings in Notts and I’ve no doubt people will be as happy as me to see it go.”
