Friends,
Moving Pillsbury Forward has had a busy early Spring. We have contractors on site working on cleanup activities, our scheduled public meeting took place this past week, and our volunteers with Team Pillsbury have moved outside the fence line at Pillsbury.
Select Demolition crews have been on-site staging equipment and setting up for silo abatement and cleanup of buildings. A crane was utilized this past Friday to deliver equipment up to the roof of the silos. Simultaneously, other crews began the process of preparing buildings for full abatement in the coming weeks. On any given weekday, there may be more than a dozen workers on site.
The MPF public meeting at the Lanphier High School auditorium was well attended last Wednesday. Team Pillsbury volunteers placed 700 fliers throughout the neighborhoods surrounding Pillsbury and we had generous media coverage. Local citizens were able to hear about the timelines, means and methods of abatement/demolition, and ask questions. We are thankful that the overall evening program was a success. Special thanks to District #186 for hosting this event.
Team Pillsbury volunteers made the necessary switch to working outside the Pillsbury property fence line this month as we turned the site over to the contractors. Our team is now focusing on neighborhood cleanups. These past two weeks we have assisted with the cleanup of two alleyways and 6 vacant lots in the neighborhood. Good things are happening here!
Finally, neighbors have experienced a significant increase in traffic around the plant due to onlookers. We welcome visitors but ask that they remain mindful of the speed limit and stay clear of the main gate on 16th and Phillips Ave. The safety of neighbors, visitors, and workers remains a priority. We have set up a visitor viewing area on the west side of 15th St. between Enterprise and Division. Please, stop in and see us on weekdays. We have plenty of parking, seating, memorabilia, and available bricks. We are glad to have you stay for extended visits. This is a comfortable place for celebrating our rich Pillsbury history and the renewal that is taking place before our eyes.
Thanks for being a part of this important community project.
~ Team Pillsbury