Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – President of Moving Pillsbury Forward, Chris Richmond stopped by the WTAX Morning Newswatch to give an update on how demolition of the Pillsbury Plant is going.

The long-awaited demolition of the Pillsbury Plant is in full swing. Richmond shares, “it’s been a spectacle almost every day. Every weekday out at Pillsbury from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the wrecking ball is swinging. We’ve got the whole grocery mix building down now. That was a 100,000 sq. ft. building. It’s been completely leveled and now 160 ft. tall bulk storage building is about 80 percent leveled”.

Richmond says people have been at the viewing area, enjoying the show every day too. The viewing area is at the corner of 16th and Phillips. If you would like to go see for yourself, not only will you get to see the action, but you’ll also get to sit on locker room benches from the Pillsbury locker room.

As for the next steps, Richmond explains that “this week you’ll see a couple of guys up on scaffolding up on our tallest building, the head house, it’s a 224 ft. tall building, removing the last of the silver paint form the head house. They’ll be doing that this week and next week. They’ll wrap up, that’ll be the last of the clean-up materials. So that building will be fully prepared for demolition probably closer to spring. But throughout the next 6 months we will be tearing down the big buildings. We’ve still got 5 really tall buildings”.

Although, there’s still many more months ahead for demolition at the Pillsbury Plant, many are already wondering what will be put in its place.

Richmond responds, “we are aimed at a lighter medium industry that uses the active railyard next door. That will bring jobs and economic activity back to that area. Much needed and much wanted. So, we are working very hard to make that happen”.

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