Friends,
The demolition crew at the site is back to big demolition. After a couple of months’ pause, the big crane is back in service and tearing down the AB-Mill. And the old 8000 pound wrecking ball has been exchanged for a new 10,000 pound ball. It is truly impressive what a difference 2000 pounds makes!
The past two months at the site have been productive. Much of the material from the now demolished 100,000 square foot Grocery Mix building has been sorted. Many semi-truck loads of metal have now left the site and headed off for recycling. The crew tells us that each truck carries about 18-20 tons of metal when loaded.
Fifty of the south silos have now been torn down. Each of these 100-foot-tall silos held 18,000 bushels of wheat when the mill was in operation. These silos were built in the Summer and Fall of 1929 using wooden slip forms. The eight-inch-thick walls of each silo stood on heavy concrete piers in the basement. Yes, they were built to last!
The crew generally works from 7:00am to 3:00pm on weekdays. Mid-day is often the best time for viewing the activities. Please use caution near the main entrance at 16th Street and Phillips Avenue. Heavy trucks and equipment are coming and going with regularity.
Thanks for being a part of this important community project!
~ Team Pillsbury