Complete Demolition of Bannister Federal Complex expected by end of 2019

Interior demolition of the vacant Bannister Federal Complex is complete, and several buildings on the site have been completely demolished as shown in this recent aerial photo. Exterior demolition of the main manufacturing building is just beginning. Photo by Mike Raymond Sky Cam.

Complete Demolition of Bannister Federal Complex expected by end of 2019

By John Sharp

Building demolition and removal of contaminated soil at the former Bannister Federal Complex should be completed by the end of 2019 according to a spokesman for Bannister Transformation & Development (BT&D), the private redeveloper of the site.

Hopefully, by 2020 construction of a planned industrial park at the site can begin, said Jason Klumb, an attorney representing BT&D in a November 11 interview.

Klumb told an October 30 meeting of the Center Planning & Development Council that the industrial park is anticipated to contain about 2.5 million square feet of light industrial and distribution facilities which should create about 2,000 private sector jobs.  Additional jobs may be created by likely retail development on the east side of Troost outside the facility’s flood wall.

In the interview, Klumb said building demolition at the site is about 35 percent complete, and exterior demolition of the main manufacturing building is just beginning following the removal of all contaminated material from the inside of the building.

Klumb said construction of a rail spur at the site that will be used to transport large quantities of contaminated soil to appropriate landfills is nearing completion and should be operational by the end of this year.  The spur can later be used to ship goods from the industrial park.

At one point BT&D had considered bringing in extremely large amounts of clean soil to replace the contaminated soil and raise the elevation of the site to above the flood plain, but Klumb said the vast quantities of soil that would be needed forced the company to abandon that plan.  He said the company now plans to just replace the contaminated soil and keep the flood wall around the site.