Watch video: Historic Park Avenue Hotel imploded in Detroit

In a few seconds, it was all over.

Two hundred pounds of TNT took down the 13-story Italian Renaissance-inspired Park Avenue Hotel at exactly 8 a.m. today to make way for a sports and entertainment district anchored by a new Detroit Red Wings arena.

The demolition of the Park Avenue marked the first major implosion of a downtown-area structure since the old Hudson's store in 1998.

Historic preservationists and others hoped the hotel would be redeveloped by Olympia Development of Michigan, the Ilitch Holdings company in charge of building the new arena, to give the new arena district an authentic flavor.

The implosion in the Cass Corridor brought to a close one of the more controversial aspects of the arena plans.

Stay with Freep.com for more news from the site of the implosion.