CHELSEA, Mass. — An iconic part of the Chelsea skyline was knocked down Wednesday.
Crowds watched as crews tore down the Soldier's Home Water Tower on Powder Horn Hill.
The 60-year-old structure was taken down to make room for a brand new 154-bed veterans community center, complete with private bedrooms and bathrooms.
"In order to accommodate the new building, this tower would have been right in the way of the project," Soldiers Home Superintendent Charyl Lussier Poppe said. "It is a good way to serve our veterans who served us."
But in Chelsea, the water tower is more than just a water tower and it will be missed.
"I've been staring at that since I was 9 years old when I moved here. The water tower was a landmark, but it was also a beacon," Christopher Dobbins said. "I don't know how I'm going to get home now."
The new building will take the water tower's place and renew Chelsea's long commitment to helping veterans.
The project is expected to be complete in 2022.
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