Kansas City firm begins process of demolishing tower

Workers from the firm of DECO Demolition and Excavation in Kansas City begin the process of taking down the AT&T tower on Judson Street between Wall and First on Monday. The project, which began with a blessing, is expected to take about three weeks. (Angelique McNaughton/Tribune)

Demolition of the exterior part of the AT&T tower began Monday morning around 9 a.m. with local preacher Scott Moore offering a blessing of the site at Judson Street, between Wall and First.

Brett Kisner, field supervisor operator with DECO Demolition and Excavation in Kansas City, said it's his company's policy to begin each project with a prayer and a blessing of the site.

DECO Demolition and Excavation positioned equipment around the site on Monday, even offering Moore one last view from the top before concrete saw-cutting started.

Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene Pastor Scott Moore, right, is about to take a ride up level with the top of the AT&T tower to see what it's like. Moore offered a blessing before the project began Monday. He is also a former firefighter. (Angelique McNaughton/Tribune)

Kisner said they joked about sending Moore up in the morning, but Moore, a former firefighter, now Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene pastor, said he was excited and returned in the afternoon for the opportunity.

"I never thought I would be able to do anything like that," Moore said. "Gives you good respect for the work those guys do."

The company officially started the removal process last week with interior work on the 114-foot structure.

The 23-year-old edifice recently began to show signs of deterioration, Terry Diebolt of AT&T Kansas said, prompting its removal.

"Because of its age, the concrete surface has seen a little bit of flaking," Deibolt said. "So we felt we needed to remove the tower to not have any concerns."

Deibolt, the director of external affairs, said the microwave tower did provide digital service to the area well into the 90s.

He said the tower stayed in place to serve as a back-up to the fiber optic system that replaced it, but it has not been used since then. It will take about three weeks for DECO to bring the tower down. Judson Street, between Wall and First, was closed Monday afternoon and will remain so daily between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. as the project goes on.