The first work on the new Rotherham United Football Club stadium site recently got underway when demolition machines started the clearance of the land.
The demolition crew began the removal of the old Gloystarne warehouse on the former Guest & Chrimes foundry site in the town centre where the new 12,000-seater stadium is to be built.
Demolition company Chairman Ron Hull said: "As a Millers fan myself, I know just how pleased everyone will be that preparation work is starting to happen on the ground.
"The building we're taking down in this first phase of the project is a 60,000 square foot steel frame warehouse that has recently been used for the storage of surplus flatpack furniture.
"The demolition and clearance of the building is scheduled to take 4-5 weeks."
Club Chairman Tony Stewart said: "Now we have commenced the process of demolition I think it will show the people of Rotherham that the progress that is being made on the new stadium is gathering pace, so much so that it is now visible for all to see. The site that is being cleared is the additional land that was purchased to provide us with the additional flexibility for future amenities and access to and from the new stadium development site.
"The demolition process is a huge operation but when the site is cleared it will give us the platform to ensure we have the best facilities possible for when we move into our new stadium in 2012."
Stuart Senior, Managing Partner of Gleeds Nottingham who Project Manage the scheme said: "Every project we undertake has unique aspects which makes our role interesting and this one is no different. Being located in the town centre, the site is bounded by a railway line and the River Don making access to the site and public safety one of our top concerns. To manage this issue, we have assembled a project team who are specialists at dealing with such challenges and it is really encouraging to see that progress is now being made with the demolition. By 2012 the club will have a fantastic new stadium to call home."
Ron Hull Demolition Operations Director Martin Wall said: "The site was handed over to us earlier this month and prep work has been underway for the past fortnight. Our in-house specialist team has removed a small amount of asbestos material from the building and the structure has been readied for the start of the demolition.
"The project is pretty straightforward from our point of view, although we are having to close a section of the river path for a time whilst the demolition is taking place, purely for safety reasons.
"The path will be re-opened as soon it is safe to do so."
Martin added: "As always these days, almost everything recovered from the site will be recycled.
"The steel and other metals from the structure are being removed to our recycling centre in town, where they will be processed and sorted. So too will timber and other materials recovered from the demolition. It will be a very green operation. Absolutely everything that can be re-used will be recovered. Virtually nothing will go to landfill."
