explosives.

It was learned yesterday that developers of the Bermuda Financial Centre Limited are contemplating blowing up the old Bermudiana Hotel to make way for their huge office and hotel complex.

BFCL president the Hon. Mike Winfield stressed there had been no firm decision on whether to use the demolition method yet.

But he promised if it was used, it would be completely safe and there would be no "big bang''.

"We believe bringing the building down that way will be simpler and less inconvenient to the neighbours,'' Sen. Winfield said. "It will also be more cost efficient.'' Neighbours would be consulted either way, he said.

And representatives of the overseas company that would carry out the demolition would fully explain it to them.

It was a question of whether residents wanted the building to come down quickly or endure three to four days of "banging, hammering and knocking'', he said.

Imploding was a common method of demolishing buildings today, Sen. Winfield noted.

It was safe for one, he said. And contractors were able to bring a building down in less of a footprint than it occupied.

"It all folds in. And there is no ground-shattering thump -- or explosion,'' he said.

Sen. Winfield said if BFCL developers decided to implode the Bermudiana, it would be done hopefully within the next two months.

They were concentrating now on making the building environmentally safe, removing harmful asbestos and "soft-stripping'' it.

The demolition of the hotel was coming at a "very convenient time'' Sen.

Winfield added, noting large quantities of block and fill were needed at the Pembroke Dump.

BFCL plans could be affected by the outcome of an appeal by the company which owns the Princess Hotel.

It launched a fight last month against the Development Applications Board's in-principle approval of the financial centre citing "errors and omissions'' in a 70-page document.

Sen. Winfield contends the appeal is a "regurgitation'' of what was said at the DAB public hearing over the project.

Sen. Winfield this month announced a deal with Bermuda's Sea-Land Construction and European-based Christiani & Nielsen to build the centre, estimated to cost $80-million.

He said he wanted to demolish the hotel by July, excavate the site by September and begin building by September. Business offices are slated for completion by December, 1996 and the 160-room hotel and residences by April, 1997.