Best seat in the house to document downtown history

The view from atop Susan’s Books & Gifts warehouse Thursday morning was mesmerizing, offering a front-row seat to a historic day in downtown Aurora I’ll not soon forget. 
The scene reminded me of June 6, 2000, not long after I arrived in A-Town, when the first wrecking ball smashed into the walls of the Woodbine Building once located just half a block north, where Cornerstone Bank stands today. Then, as now, there were people who hoped to save the aging structure, but in both cases it was simply too far gone.
For weeks now this community has watched with a mix of angst and interest as the fate of the once-proud Gambles building hung in the balance. As reported in last week’s edition, the tall structure, located smack dab in the middle of the east side of the square, was once home to a thriving business. Dale and Gertrude Campbell purchased two side-by-side buildings in 1967, connected them, and relocated their store to that spot, selling everything from hardware to hunting licenses to area residents until the business was sold in 1977.
The Gambles building has stood vacant the entire time I’ve lived here. Whatever visions may have existed for bringing the old girl back to life crumbled, quite literally, when a portion of the back wall collapsed in June. That incident left a pile of bricks on the ground, and raised awareness of a problem that could no longer be ignored. The rest of the story, or in this case the final chapter, unfolded in dramatic fashion Thursday morning.
Sensing that the demolition would draw intense interest, especially with a limited safe viewing area out front, the ANR team started brainstorming ways to document the day’s events. We got the green light from city and police officials, as well as neighboring business owner Susan Williams, who generously allowed us access to her warehouse roof.
From there, the newsroom team got to work.
News editor Ron Burtz, who unbeknownst to some is an FAA licensed drone pilot, launched his aerial camera to capture the demolition from above in both stills and video. He also set up two time-lapse cameras, including a 4K GoPro, which created videos showing the entire process in under two minutes in one case, and 11.5 minutes in the other.
Advertising director and social media guru Bekah Mead provided real-time coverage via Facebook Live, which turned into a must-see video. More than 7,500 viewers tuned in on Thursday, a clear sign that this story captured attention well beyond Aurora, and as of Monday had more than 21,000 views.
Yours truly, the old guy in the trio, snapped digital photos for the print edition and posted 15-second video clips to ANR’s Twitter and Facebook feeds.
By the time the three of us climbed the ladder (thanks to Chad Garrett) and set up shop at 8:05 a.m., the action was already well underway. What was expected to take up to two days was half-completed by 9:45. At that point, Bekah’s phone was hot to the touch and nearly dead from two hours of streaming. We headed back to the office to cool off and recharge, which ended up being a decision I came to regret. By the time we returned, the front façade of the building had already fallen.
You can still watch the full process online. We’ve posted a condensed two-minute time-lapse video, an 11-minute real-time version that highlights Robbie Roberts’ precision work with the excavator, and a unique 360-degree drone video, all at auroranewsregister.com.
Just as I vividly remember the June 6, 2000, demolition of the Woodbine, I, and many other locals, will now remember July 24, 2025, as another turning point. It’s the day downtown Aurora’s skyline changed, as one more piece of its history came down, brick by brick.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net