Building demolition underway after parts of it collapse in Centre Co.

Updated: Tuesday, August 12 2014, 06:21 PM EDT

Reported By: Erin Calandra

PHILIPSBURG, Pa. -- In a slight twist of fate, Mother Nature decided to speed up the demolition process on a Centre County building by about 12 hours.

Shortly after 11:30 p.m. Monday residents along Pine Street in Philipsburg heard popping and crashing sounds coming from the former Navasky Building. Slated for demolition Wednesday, neighbors were concerned their worst fears were happening.

"We heard a couple of explosions. I thought the whole building was going to come down," Philipsburg resident Edward Utley said. "We had two vehicles parked out here and the whole wall started shaking, and we thought we were doing to lose our vehicles so we moved them."

What came crashing down, as high winds and rain moved through the area, was five to six tons of bricks and concrete, as a 30-foot wall gave way.

As the bricks and walls came down, so did a power line, knocking out powering to more than 800 homes in the Philipsburg area.

Neighbors said they have been concerned about the building for some time. The old factory was gutted by fire in June and it sits near a bus stop.

"My kids stand here every morning and get off here every afternoon, so it's a concern for me being a resident," Utley said.

Philipsburg Borough Manager Joel Watson he's heard the neighborhood concerns.

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Building demolition underway after parts of it collapse in Centre Co.