After approximately eight months of demolition work, the State Building site in Downtown’s Civic Center has finally been cleared. All remnants of the former eyesore have been removed, and the last piece of construction equipment was being carted off as I was snapping the photos for this post.

The State Building was quite possibly my least favorite building in Downtown. The government agency that owned the site neglected the property, and it became a magnet for graffiti and the homeless. The stench of urine surrounding the building was often overpowering.

During the demolition, the sidewalks on the block bounded by 1st, Hill, 2nd and Broadway were closed off to pedestrians, creating a big mess for people trying to use them. Now that all that lung-killing asbestos has been carted off and/or blown away (I hope), the sidewalks have reopened, and we are now left with a giant pit in the ground.

Plans for the site include a “temporary” surface parking lot that will most likely last a decade, while designs for the new federal courthouse are being reworked amid cost overruns.

-Previous State Building demolition coverage

-More photos of the site on flickr here.