COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The leaning smokestack of Coldwater will soon be coming down. The demolition of the old tower on the city’s west-side near Jay Street will be funded as part of a $65,000 Michigan Blight Elimination Program grant awarded to Coldwater. City officials say it’s time to bid farewell to the smokestack that’s left over from the late 1800’s flour mill empire of William Coombs.
The grant will also pay to take down two vacant single family residences that would cost more to fix-up than to demolish. The homes are located at 100 Branch Avenue and 114 Branch Avenue, both single-level, each with a footprint of less than 1,000 square feet. This is the second grant the city has received for blight elimination since 2012 when the old Creamery Building on Bennett St was removed.
City officials say the demolition of the smokestack along the pathway of Linear Park will alleviate a safety risk due to continued deterioration. The park is a key link in a city-spanning non-motorized trail network which has been under development for several years. In addition, the city says the smokestack is visible from and affecting property values in surrounding commercial and residential districts, one of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The state’s Blight Elimination Program has funded approximately $25 million in demolition projects dating back to 2012.
