With the booming blasts that sounded off like a 21-gun salute, spectators gathered as Houston said goodbye to the Ben Milam Hotel on Sunday, December 9, 2012. The 80-year-old building that stood across from Union Station had been closed since the 1970s, and was imploded to make room for a 380-unit apartment complex covering the area where the Ben Milam Hotel was built in 1926.

Check out our slideshow of the blast, and after the jump, a video of the moment of implosion.

Video by Abrahán Garza.

Abrahán Garza is a native Houstonian and long-time Morrissey devotee. He spins and collects vinyl and has been with the Houston Press since 1999. Abrahán is pronounced AH-BRAN en Español.