The Sheraton Crossroads Hotel crumbled in a controlled implosion in New Jersey on Saturday, an event that drew scores of people hoping to say their final farewells to the decades-old building.
Residents as far away as Midland Park and Montebello, Wyckoff and Waldwick, reported hearing the early-morning blasts, coordinated by the fire, police, ambulance and building departments in Mahwah.
“This is a serious construction event that involves the implosion of a multi-story building,” they warned. “The site and the event are regulated by the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor, a very experienced implosion contractor, the general contractor for the developer, the New Jersey State Police, the Mahwah Police and other Township personnel.”
By 7:45 a.m., the 22-story building — a New Jersey landmark since 1987 and a once popular wedding venue known for its rows and rows of glass windows — was no more.
Located along Route 17 near the New Jersey/New York border, the hotel closed its doors in December 2023 after 36 years.
Hundreds of people gathered along the highway to watch the building fall, and even more people tuned in for the livestream.
“That was wild,” Sarah Warren from West Milford told the North Bergen Record. “It’s crazy to be gone. I used to drive by it all the time.”
Another wrote on Facebook: “When I was little I called it the Superman building and thought he lived there.”
The owners’ of the site previously said they planned to build two warehouses on the property.