http://www.progressiverailroading.com/p ... p?id=23500

Are there any preservation issues with this demolition?

Greg

Or this page of vintage postcard views:

http://pittsburgksmemories.com/Pittsbur ... rtkcs.html

It wouldn't really matter since KCSR still owns the property; even if it weren't demolished, there would still be hazmat issues (i.e., lead paint, any asbestos that hasn't already been removed, solvents and old lubricants, etc.) that would have to be remediated in any case (unless KCSR took care of these issues a long time ago; I wouldn't bet on that, though). It's probably more cost-effective just to level the building, clear out the remains and cart off the "dirty dirt", and build to suit the needs of the new tenant(s) rather than try to adapt it for purposes that it wasn't really built for.

If it was a formally designated historic structure, and if local (state or municipal) exist then maybe, but probably not.

The federal laws behind the National Register of Historic Buildings only says that you can't use Federal money to negatively impact a building on the register... There is no protection for a building from a private owner using his/hers/their own money.

Judging from the above pictures; it looks very similiar to the former Bellmead MKT Locomotive Facility on the outskirts of Waco, Texas.

Once you take all the machine tools out of the machine shop side of the building, you are mainly left with a huge empty building with a massive overhead bridge crane and little else; and a boilerhouse outside.

The Bellmead facility was used during Vietnam for the manufacture of artillary shells, IIRC. It then sat derelict until last year, when it was demolished.

I had the pleasure of touring the facilities before they were gone. The size of these buildings is breathtaking.







More photographs of Bellmead - 2006



Photographs of Bellmead - 1923