AUSTIN, Texas — Downtown Austin will soon have some improvements to the skyline. The Ashbel Smith building imploded Sunday morning to make way for a new office building.

The building stood for more than 40 years at the intersection of 6th Street and Colorado. In just seconds, it was nothing but a pile of rubble and dust.

"It's exciting coming out here. My adrenaline was rushing," Andrea Weisheimer, a project executive with DPR Construction said.

The building used to be home to UT administration, but has since been empty when their offices were moved.

The new space will make way for a 670,000 square foot office building, including  thousands of square feet for retail, restaurants, and even a gym.

"New development just brings a new energy to the downtown environment. We are going to have new people here and it's going to help boom our economy," Weisheimer said.

The implosion, now the largest in Austin's history, was almost postponed due to its timing.

"There was a discussion about whether we would postpone this because of the concerns, understandable concerns with what was going on once that came to an end, we were able to proceed with the plan," Division Chief Palmer Buck with the Austin Fire Department said.

The city knew the sound of an explosion could cause some panic despite the Austin bomber no longer being a threat, so they made sure to warn nearby residents. Despite officials urging people to stay away, a couple dozen people lined up along the barricades to catch a glimpse.

"We kept anticipating it and when the explosion went off, no matter how much we tried to prepare for it. It's still startling absolutely. You felt it," said Daniel Layman, who brought his daughter out to watch the implosion.

It will take weeks to clear the dust and debris. Construction on the new building is scheduled begin this summer.