(VIDEO) St. Louis Park Fire Station Demolished

Within a matter of hours Monday morning, a roughly 40-year-old St. Louis Park fire station came crumbling down.

was demolished as part of a project that will bring two new fire stations to the city—in essentially the same spots as the current stations—at a cost of roughly $15.5 million. The new stations are expected to open in about a year.

Fire chief Luke Stemmer took the ceremonial first blow at the building, but was replaced by crews who operated two excavators and quickly ripped apart the station.

Retired firefighters Paul Steinhilber and Marlow O. Noren, who each got bricks from the old station as keepsakes, were on hand to watch the demolition.

“It’s pretty impressive,” said Steinhilber, who retired just last month.

Noren, who spent 15 years at each station before retiring in 1996, said he is looking forward to completion of the new stations.

“They’ll be nice,” he said. “I wish I was back working.”

With the old Fire Station One demolished, construction on the new station there should be underway soon. will be able to remain open through construction of a new station immediately to the north.