Friends,
Moving Pillsbury Forward continues to see good progress both at the former Pillsbury site and around the entire Pillsbury Neighborhood.
About a dozen local laborers have been working each weekday at the site preparing for and removing asbestos floor tiles in buildings these past two weeks. This work will continue for several more weeks in a systematic fashion until all buildings are cleared.
Two buildings have been fully prepared for demolition. The two-story locker room building (7300 sq. ft.) and the two-story Warehouse #1 (21,000 sq. ft.) are scheduled for demolition first. These two buildings are at the south end of the site and are anticipated to be demolished later this month.
Visitors along 15th Street this week will see workers beginning to remove the silver coating from the silos in preparation for demolition later this year. Workers will be hanging on “swing scaffolding” and using a high-pressure water misting system to remove the silver coating that was applied 60 years ago. This activity will be ongoing for about 3-4 months. Engineers have estimated that 260,000 sq. ft of coating will be removed.
MPF Volunteers have kept active in the Pillsbury Neighborhood this month. More than 12 vacant neighborhood lots have been cleared of excess vegetation, garbage, and tree branches from the June 29, 2023, derecho storm event. It has been a long recovery for this older neighborhood since that time. We are glad to have helped advance the recovery. We also edged over 800 feet of sidewalks! This was a big improvement along 15th St.
We will continue clearing lots and alleyways in the coming months. The aim is to improve the quality of life for residents of the entire neighborhood. If you would like to join us, please stop in at the 15th St. field office. We have volunteer teams working on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am to noon every week. We have all the tools necessary, and the work is rewarding.
Thanks for being a part of this important community project.
~ Team Pillsbury
