INDIANAPOLIS -- The RCA Dome will be deflated Wednesday, marking major change to the Indianapolis skyline and the end of nearly a quarter-century of history within its walls.

Dome deflation is the next step in an exhaustive effort to make way for an expanded convention center.

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Dismantling the RCA Dome, which went up in 1984, is a monumental task. Its Teflon-coated fabric roof comprises about eight acres and weighs about 500,000 pounds.

Former Mayor Bill Hudnut will flip a switch to turn off the fans that support the roof at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, which should allow the puffed-up roof to sag to about 50 feet above the ground -- a process that is expected to take about 30 minutes.

"In the control room, they have gauges to monitor the height of the roof and how fast it's going to come down," said Tom Scheele, demolition construction manager. "We're going to control the descent as much as possible, but it will be a very subtle effect."

TheIndyChannel.com plans to carry the dome deflation live, and it will also be shown on 6News 24/7, available on WRTV's digital signal 6-2 and on many cable systems.

Indiana State Police issued a statement Tuesday advising motorists not to stop on Interstate 70 to view the deflation.

The roof and shell of structure is about all that's left of the dome. Seats were ripped out and turf was ripped up weeks ago. The lockers inside have been donated to some local high schools.

As for the massive roof, Scheele said its future use is not yet known.

"We're working with other agencies here in town to try and find some use that we can easily get to so all of that doesn't go to the landfill," he said.

After the dome's deflation, demolition of the building will begin in earnest.

"There's about 6,000 to 7,000 trucks of debris that will come off a site that large," Scheele said.

About half of the building will be imploded in December, but an exact date hasn't yet been set.