CINCINNATI — A large eyesore along Mill Creek in Millvale is finally gone.
The remaining structure of the old Consolidated Grain & Barge Company was demolished Saturday morning.
Late last year, the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority got grant money from the state to get rid of blighted and abandoned structures and this project was one of the top priorities.
The silos were constructed in 1925 to house grain, but the company went bankrupt in 1986. It had three different owners in less than 20 years, and was originally slated for demolition in 2008. But asbestos was discovered, which made the demolition dangerous and expensive. The silos sat partially demolished ever since, until the port got the money to finish the job.
“There was originally a bank of silos to the north and that was demolished 15 years ago by somebody else during that work they compromised the head house," Director for Industrial Development for the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority Chris Meyer said.
"They didn’t do it right, so we started working with O’Rourke directly about 3 months ago and since demolished 10 silos on the Southside of head house."
The implosion happened at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Residents in the "event exclusion zone" were instructed to leave their homes by 7 a.m.
The implosion was a beautiful sight to people who live in the area.
“It is a happy experience for us. We're glad it’s down because it was a safety hazard," said Pamela J. Adams, president of the South Fairmount Community Council. "It was built before I was even born and the concrete was real brittle."
The port said there's no specific purpose determined for the site where the silos stood. The land is privately owned but the port said it was able to demolish the silos because the owners abandoned the site.
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