Contractors step to the plate

The Vet will be imploded sometime in early spring and will take slightly less than a minute to tumble to the ground.

That’s some of what residents learned at the first meeting between the community at large and Phillies executives, their demolition contractor and city officials.

About 300 people packed the school hall at Stella Maris Church, Ninth and Bigler streets, on Tuesday night, most fearing for the safety of their homes.

Phillies president David Montgomery, along with John Webb, vice president for development for Brandenburg Industrial Services — the demolition contractor — and Michael O’Rourke, president of Demolition Dynamics — the company that will conduct the implosion — spent most of the meeting trying to allay neighbors’ concerns.

Webb explained that Brandenburg has secured $50 million in insurance to protect against any damage and Demolition Dynamics has an $11-million policy of its own.

Not satisfied to accept the Phillies’ assurances, the Sports Complex Special Services District hired geotechnical engineer Schnabel Inc. in November to examine the ground below the homes nearest the stadium. Neighbors want the expert to predict if the area can withstand the vibrations of an implosion.

Both Brandenburg and Demolition Dynamics ensured residents at the meeting that they are taking every precaution.

To decrease the vibrations caused by the falling Vet, crews will remove a larger portion of the stadium with heavy machinery than originally planned. In addition, Demolition Dynamics intends to implode the stadium slowly — company officials are estimating it will take 58 seconds for it to collapse — to minimize the impact as the concrete pieces hit the ground.

The 25 homes closest to Veterans Stadium — some sitting as close as 300 feet away — will be evacuated before the implosion. As the Phillies prepare for the big event, the organization marked the last day of business at the Vet yesterday.

Demolition Dynamics conducted the implosion of Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field a year ago. The old stadium stood just 50 feet from the Cincinnati Reds’ new $280-million Great American Ball Park. The new stadium sustained no damage, according to reports.