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How The Wells Fargo Center Transforms To Pre-DNC Form

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Seconds after the gavel signaled the end of the Democratic National Convention, crews at the Wells Fargo Center already started the tear-down process.

"We had teams of people in place to already start pulling things down inside. The production team was ready to go and even [at] midnight that night, about 10% of the work was done," explained Travis Dredd, the Deputy CEO of the Convention Complex for the DNC.

This is Dredd's fifth convention, and he says the fact the staff at the Wells Fargo Center put on the Republican National Convention in 2000 has helped with both the set up and break-down.

"Their experience working on the 2000 convention here put us a leg ahead if you will in terms of the planning for the buildup as well as the takedown. They understood what is needed for us," said Dredd.

Dredd says the DNC Host Committee allows him a budget of $13-15 million dollars for both the construction and transformation of the stage and arena and also the reconfiguring back to its original state.

"I've worked at other arenas where we didn't get quite there (with the planning) and let's just say the restoration piece was a little more challenging," he said.

The Wells Fargo Center will have to be back in its original state by Saturday, August 20th. Barbara Streisand is performing that evening.

"To come in here right now and see it all being taken down, it's a little bit sad to see if all go away," said Dredd. "It's also exciting to see the different folks working together (to return the Wells Fargo Center how we got it.)

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