Out with the old: Mallory building set for demolition

Friday, February 18, 2011
The former Mallory Capacitor Corporation building on Indianapolis Road in Greencastle is set to be demolished. Bill Dory, Putnam County economic development director, said the timing of the demolition depends on the weather. The materials that are part of the building will be recycled if possible.

GREENCASTLE ---- The former Mallory Capacitor Corporation on the east side of Greencastle is set to be demolished.

Bill Dory, the Putnam County economic development director, said the building located at 1701 Indianapolis Road doesn't meet the needs of businesses that might be interested in the location.

"The building, from an industrial development standpoint, is pretty much functionally obsolete. The ceiling heights in there are lower than what most companies demand these days. It doesn't have the loading docks and other amenities that you would typically find in a more contemporary industrial structure," Dory said.

He said he wasn't sure exactly when the demolition would occur, because it depends on the weather.

"If it turns out we've got a spring of nice days like we have right now, it'll probably move fairly quickly. If all of a sudden we get another ice storm it will probably slow down," Dory said.

He said work was already taking place to prepare the interior of the building for demolition, including stripping electrical equipment or any other pieces that might have value.

John Zeiner, one of the building's owners, said, "I think people will be surprised on how fast we're going to move."

Dory said most of the materials in the building are being recycled, which is adding to the time it takes to demolish it.

"You have to separate your metals and all that stuff, but that is in keeping with Greencastle's efforts to recycle things such as the steel and concrete blocks, pretty much anything that can be recycled will be recycled," Dory said. "You always have a little bit of stuff you can't recycle, but I would say by far the vast majority of it will be recycled."

Dory said that there are some environmental contamination issues in the ground that need to be taken care of.

"The building overall was built in the sixties," he said. "As with most industrial buildings of that age, there is some contamination that needs to be cleaned up. It's relatively minor and the former owners are actually responsible for it."

Both Dory and Zeiner see this demolition as the first step in making something new in the spot.

"There will definitely be a redevelopment effort," Dory said. "It's a great piece of property from the standpoint of it's in a good location, the property is currently zoned industrial but it's right up against commercial zoning. It could be rezoned for a commercial purpose."

Dory also pointed out that the size of the lot (10 acres) would be ideal for any commercial businesses that are interested in the area.

"It could even be subdivided into smaller parcels if that's what the market demands," he said.

Zeiner emphasized the importance of the lot to the area, which is located next to the "Welcome to Greencastle" sign.

"It's kind of the doorway to Greencastle," he said.

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  • "Welcome to Greencastle, home of many empty, decaying buildings."

    -- Posted by LangdonUlger on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 12:30 AM
  • This will be as successful as Sonic, the warehouse facility on Fillmore Road and the former LoBills.

    Hmm...Maybe another gas station or pizza place. (Sarcastic Mode: ON).

    -- Posted by ProblemTransmission on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 1:55 AM
  • Greencastle is in economic decay. They have lost Oxford Automotive, Techno Trim and Mallorys and the buildings did not attract a new business. Then Dory and the town fathers built a spec building that the tax payers are paying for and it sits empty. Downtown continues to fall apart and retail business continues to leave. Other counties are attracting new business and jobs, but we continue to slide backwards.

    -- Posted by albert on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 7:37 AM
  • What does Putnam County have to show for itself regarding economic development over the past 25-30 years. Not much!

    It's time for new leadership in the county, a new Economic Development Director and new County Commissioners with a vision for the future to bring us out of the fog.

    Reading the IBJ, county after county is bringing someone fresh, someone new to the county adding a vitality to the ho-hum day after day mentality that Putnam County has fallen into.

    -- Posted by Lookout on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 11:21 AM
  • "If you build it, they will come"-yeah, right..lol

    -- Posted by Redsonia on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 12:46 PM
  • I like what Problem Transmission and albert posted. I don't live there anymore but everytime I come back it's the same old stuff(to be nice).

    -- Posted by Georgianow on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 4:47 PM
  • More businesses might locate here if the roads didn't turn to mud every spring and a dust storm every summer.

    -- Posted by T5773fmore on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 5:11 PM
  • If you build it, it will set empty, ie, the nice new strip mall across from Krogers,the strip mall beside Krogers, Sonic, Blockbusters, Brackneys old store, the list goes on (and on and on).

    The downtown store fronts are empty and the town is dirty. Main Street no longer exhists so therefore the down town area is in decline.

    On the north side of town is a Welcome to Greencastle sign just like the one pictured and last summer it was so overgrown with weeds, etc, that it couldn't be read until a good samaritan cleaned it up to some extent.

    Welcome to Greencastle where our current leaders are indolent.

    The doorway to Greencastle has been closed for so long that the key no longer works.

    -- Posted by dumpsterdiva2 on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 11:49 PM
  • All negativity aside, I do believe it is time that current economic development officials step aside. Greencastle (& Putnam County as a whole) has been at a stalemate for well over a decade.

    These officials are currently serving literally as caretakers for empty buildings owned by out of state property owners/investors.

    -- Posted by ProblemTransmission on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 11:54 PM
  • I was told that IAC is taking over the new facility on Fillmore Road, but the city has to finish it. Maybe the city/ county need to impose a special tax on these unused buildings where it would make it too costly just to let them sit.

    -- Posted by bornhere68 on Sun, Feb 20, 2011, at 6:54 PM
  • Most all of the buildings on the square and right off of it have actual businesses in them. Ink & Toner, Education Supply, Some decent little places to eat, office supplies, the Goodwill, Senior Center, Lawyers, Crown's Business office, etc...but its all those building out East where you see empty store front after empty store front. As far a that spec. building out there,(that HAD to be built because there were people interested, but just didn't like any of the empty buildings at that time) was one of the biggest jokes!!! What a waste of time and money!!! One of the biggest things I hear locally is "Buy Local" but if I can go to Terre Haute and actually find it, or get it cheaper, why not...at least that area is growing and actually attracting new places for me to spend my money.

    -- Posted by justducky on Mon, Feb 21, 2011, at 3:19 PM
  • I was once asked by a customer in WalMart where the fabric was. I directed her to the front of the store, out the door and gave her directions to Jo Annes Fabrics in Avon. Have you noticed how much smaller the sewing notions isle has gotten in recent months. If you move it from the back to the front of the store it can be downsized even more.

    -- Posted by dumpsterdiva2 on Mon, Feb 21, 2011, at 4:33 PM
  • Soooooooooooo glad to be elsewhere!just outside the county line the air gets fresher,less rotten people..nothing but positivity and future hope! :}

    -- Posted by taintedtown on Tue, Feb 22, 2011, at 6:32 PM
  • lets get a hooters!

    -- Posted by rickybobby55 on Fri, Feb 25, 2011, at 12:15 PM
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