The massive 25-story J.L. Hudson's building in Detroit was brought to the ground in a matter of seconds in October 1998 by the largest urban implosion in our nation's history.

Now, the four basement levels of the building are quite literally having their day in the sun, in preparation for a below-ground parking deck and the Campus Martius development, which will include a new headquarters for 1,100 employees of Compuware.

"This is one hellacious hole," said operating engineer John Beesley.

Indeed it is. With the debris pile removed following the implosion, construction manager Turner-White, their subcontractors and the building trades are in the process of removing about 80,000 yards of dirt from the big hole, as well as tons of concrete footings, beams, re-rod and everything else that went into the foundation of the Hudson's building.

"When you're digging on a site like this, you never know what you'll find," said Project Supt. Kevin O'Neill of Turner. "There are all kinds of concealed conditions and obstructions out there. It's interesting work. This is definitely different than digging up farmland."

O'Neill said most of the original 40-foot deep, six-foot-thick perimeter foundations for the old Hudson's building will be retained. Those walls are being shored up by 70-foot long horizontal steel rod tie-backs that extend under the existing street grid. "Drilling those tie-backs is a slow process," O'Neill said. "We've already encountered one foundation wall that no one knew existed along Grand River."

More than 100 construction workers will be employed on the project when it peaks out next summer.

By April 2001, a new $33 million, four-deck parking structure with 1,100 parking spots is expected to be completed below ground. Above ground on the site will be a landscaped plaza, and the parking structure's foundations will support an18-story building. Eventually, the entire Campus Martius project could encompass nine blocks and will include the Compuware headquarters and a mix of office towers, stores, restaurants and maybe a hotel.

"We need parking spaces," said Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer. "At the same time, we're going to provide an opportunity for new retail and commercial office space above the Hudson's site."

The 1.1 million square-foot Compuware headquarters, estimated to cost $800 million, will be placed on the old Kern Block, just south of the old Hudson's building. Soil testing began on the site last week, and the earth is expected to start moving in April. 

OPERATORS Bob Paul and John Beesley break up and remove foundation materials from the former Detroit Hudson's site. A four-deck parking structure will be built below ground, and an 18-story high-rise will follow as part of the Campus Martius project.