It took months of preparation but only 16 seconds for the former headquarters of Dominion Energy at One James River Plaza in Down- town to be turned into rubble at 7 a.m. last Saturday to make way for a possible new office tower. The 21-story building at 701 E. Cary St. was imploded, a method that allows the floors to collapse onto themselves.

Nine nearly simultaneous explosions were triggered to bring the 42-year-old building down, leaving the debris for workers and heavy equipment to remove. The implosion was rated a success; there were no reports of damage to nearby buildings or city utilities. Scores of people found vantage points outside the 15-block safety zone to see the event live, while others watched on TV or via Dominion’s lives- tream. Dominion is contemplating plans to construct a new building on the site. Already, the company has erected the first of two towers next door at 600 E. Canal St. and has approval to build a matching tower on the site where One James River Plaza stood.