JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sunday’s demolition of the old city hall building in Jacksonville is set to be a spectacular one.
It’s not an easy task to bring down such a large building, especially one that’s surrounded by businesses and residences. The city of Jacksonville hired contractors Environmental Holdings Group and Controlled Demolition Incorporated for the job.
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Environmental Holdings Group, or EHG, has been contracted to perform more than 6,000 environmental and demolition jobs since the company was created in 2001. It’s one of the fastest-growing companies in the field.
According to the company’s website, the contractors offer “competitive value while adhering to strict safety compliance.”
EHG recently completed work at hotels, hospitals and factories all across the U.S.
The company is licensed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Florida and Virginia.
Controlled Demolition Incorporated, or CDI, has been around for six decades.
The company comments on the job on its website: “A two thousand ton skyscraper collapses like a house of cards, crumbling in on itself - a waterfall of well-fractured steel and concrete debris. It lasts only seconds, and buildings within a few meters stand untouched. The very essence of Controlled Demolition, Inc. is in our name: Control.”
CDI’s work has been featured in many Hollywood blockbusters, such as:
"Atlantic City," "Telefon," "Wolfen," "Child's Play," "City Killer," "Lethal Weapon 3," "Demolition Man," "Mars Attacks!," "Enemy of the State" and, most recently, "Batman: The Dark Knight."
It's also been used for commercials for clients ranging from from Miller Beer to Time Life Books.
Video from CDI jobs has also been featured in music videos, notably “Catapult” by Counting Crows and “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.
The company’s YouTube page shows dozens of successful jobs demolishing high-rises, bridges, silos and TV towers.