Demolition Begins On Columbia Building Damaged In Gas Explosion

COLUMBIA, MD — Demolition has begun on what's left of the 57,000-square-foot commercial building mangled in a gas explosion Aug. 25, 2019. Miraculously, no one was injured in the blast that destroyed most of the structure. Columbia Patch readers reported hearing a "loud boom" that shook houses and could be felt from Owen Brown to Jessup to Kings Contrivance.

All of the businesses housed in the building were damaged and had to relocate or close. Some resumed operations while others shut down completely. On Aug. 26, business owners were able to enter the heavily damaged building to retrieve important belongings. Howard County officials granted permits to contractors in December 2019 so they could begin tearing down the second story of the building, allowing for the first floor wing to be repaired. The demolition should be done in approximately one month.

Aerial view of damage from this morning’s gas explosion on Stanford Boulevard in Columbia. Photo courtesy WBFF Fox 45. pic.twitter.com/q064PaJewJ
— Howard County Gov't (@HoCoGov) August 25, 2019

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