Demolition on Grandfather Mountain’s Top Shop, located next to the Mile High Swinging Bridge, began Wednesday, April 23.  The crew began tearing down the side of the building located closest to the switchbacks up the Mountain.
  A small ceremony was then held outside the Top Shop at 10 a.m. and included speeches from Grandfather Mountain President Crae Morton, Vice President Harris Prevost, Top Shop Manager Thomas Huskins and Bill Dixon from Appalachian Architecture.  Past and present employees of the Mountain were also on hand to witness the event.
The speakers reminisced on the famous people that had set foot in the Top Shop, the extreme weather it had endured and other personal stories.
  Once the ceremony was over the demolition crew went back to work removing the awning over the front stairs.
  The entire demolition process will take days with the tallest walls of the building scheduled to fall after-hours on Thursday.
  Grandfather Mountain’s Top Shop has been in place since 1961.  Due to 47 years of abuse from Grandfather’s weather and expected wear and tear over the years, the building has been in need of an update.
 The new building, designed by Appalachian Architecture and built by Greene Construction, both of Boone, NC will be a smaller, more efficient building and will provide elevator access to the Bridge area for handicapped guests.
 The new building is projected to be finished spring 2009.  Until then, a temporary building is in place to be used as a small gift shop.
A construction “progress report” has been posted at www.grandfather.com/top_shop_pics/progress_report.php.