Two buildings damaged in Minnehaha Academy blast to be demolished

Two Minnehaha Academy buildings that were damaged in a natural gas explosion last summer will be demolished by the end of January.

Crews have removed artifacts from the two buildings including a time capsule from 1912.

Minnehaha President Donna Harris said the demolition represents a step forward, but it's not an easy step. Two Minnehaha Academy employees were killed in the blast.

"It's really a bittersweet day," Harris said. "We are still grieving a loss of colleagues, the loss of our historic buildings, we are thinking about our faculty staff and students who have adjusted well, but it has been challenging for them as well, so we still navigate those challenging times."

Harris said newly hired architecture and construction firms will replace the buildings destroyed in the blast. They're aiming to finish construction by late summer 2019.