Demolition of Exhibition Hall, the downtown riverfront landmark that was the area's premiere event facility for four decades, is set for Feb. 20 after the Edison Festival of Light events, city spokeswoman Jennifer Hobbic said today.

Originally slated for demolition on Feb. 6, Hobbic said the delay will allow Edison festivities to conclude without a hitch.

The last event was held in the hall in 2003 and it was condemned after damage by hurricanes Charley and Wilma. The hall where Elvis played, Gerald Ford made a campaign stop and Milton Berle performed, was built in 1954.

Efforts to save it failed and Honc Destruction of Cape Coral, which won a contract to clear the riverfront land for $141,588, has spent much of the month removing hazardous asbestos material, a cancer causing building material used in the past.

City Council will decide what to do with the land after debates later this year. A consensus has emerged for some form of public-use facility, including retail and a possible restaurant, surrounded by additional public greenspace along the water