Twenty years ago on March 21, 2004, Broomall native Nick Peetros, working for the L.F. Driscoll Co., imploded Veteran’s Stadium to clear the way so they could build Citizen’s Bank Park, writes Josh Tolentino for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Peetros was the guy who controlled the detonator button that imploded the stadium back in 2004, though at the time credit went to then Mayor John Street and Phillies outfielder Greg Luzinski as the button-pushers.

“When I look back, I am just extremely fortunate to have been at the right place at the right time,” Peetros said. “I get mixed feelings. A lot of people were supportive, but there were people that were upset about the Vet being demolished. They were big fans of it.”

The Vet opened in 1971, housing the Philadelphia Eagles through the 2002 season and the Philadelphia Phillies through 2003. 

It’s where the Phillies won the World Series title in 1980 in Game 6 over the Kansas City Royals.

Whether you approve of the Vet’s destruction or not, Peetros, 51, has a place in Philadelphia sports history, not just for destroying the Vet but also for helping build Citizen’s Park for his hometown Phillies.

Read more about this historic implosion in The Philadelphia Inquirer.