Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) — March 10, 2025 — Demolition of the old Citizens Bank building officially began Monday.
Nabholz Construction superintendent Howard Ballard said final approval from the Arkansas Division of Energy and Environmental Quality (ADEEQ) has been received and destruction began about 8:30 a.m. on Monday.
“You have to apply and then wait 10 working days. Our 10 days was up Saturday, but we really didn’t want to start on a Saturday, so we started this morning,” Ballard said, noting that crews had to take the smaller brick building down first to get close enough to take the old bank itself down.
He estimated demolition taking two-and-a-half to three months.
“It could go quicker, but it’s going to be kind of a slow process. It’s a big building and it’s a long way up there. It’s just kind of a slow deal,” Ballard said.
He also noted that the road closures and traffic changes will remain in effect until the project is completed. These include:
- The closure of Washington Avenue from Union Street to Main Street and right turns from Main Street onto Washington Avenue will remain available
- Truck routes will continue onto Bridge Street
- Union Street will be reduced to one lane at the project site
However, downtown businesses will remain open and be accessible through alternative routes.
Ballard said that he does not foresee any complications with it being so close to other buildings and that protective measures, such as a netting to keep bricks from bouncing onto neighboring roofs, have been installed.
“We hired a company that does this all day long every day,” he said. “The guy that’s running the job for them has got 40 years of experience and the operator has been doing it for 40 years. They just kind of learned how it goes.”
He added that crews have already begun using water to keep the dust down, even though they have not reached any contaminated materials yet.
The City Council voted in January to approve the demolition of the building via wet demolition. This involves spraying the part of the building currently being demolished with water, preventing any asbestos-containing material (ACM) from becoming airborne. The project is estimated to cost $3.25 million.