CHULA VISTA, Calif. (AP) — In a matter of minutes, a hulking power plant that loomed over San Diego Bay since the late 1950s has been demolished.

The implosion early Saturday — which had been months in the planning — turned the mighty structure into a smoking heap of concrete. The goal is to one day turn the site into a park.

Kayakers and other onlookers positioned themselves to watch the implosion of the 165-foot structure and say goodbye to a bit of local history

UT San Diego says (http://bit.ly/14GmMzc ) the South Bay Power Plant collapsed after 200 pounds of charges ignited 300 pounds of dynamite strategically embedded in steel beams.

Tanya M. Castaneda of the Port of San Diego, which owns the plant, says the $40 million demolition will dramatically open up bay views and make way for plans for a public park and economic development.

The plant was decommissioned in 2010.