A community group wants the city of Springfield to take over the Pillsbury Mills Plant, tear it down and redevelop the site.
But, first, they want the city to make sure the area is closed off to trespassers.
“It’s a partially demolished old factory that has some level of asbestos contamination still on site. And so it’s dangerous for folks to go in there,” said Chris Richmond, the former fire marshal for Springfield who is leading Moving Pillsbury Forward. “But what we know at this point is that is happening on a regular basis.”
The group brought its concerns to the Nov. 26 city council meeting.
Mary Frances, also with Moving Pillsbury Forward, asked council members to act on six demands from the group, including allocating $20,000 in the next budget to secure the property.
“When are you going to take control and make this a win-win for yourself and the whole city?” she asked.