BILLINGS— The City of Billings is working with the Big Sky Economic Development EPA Brownfields Program to demolish an abandoned meat house building.
Demolition of Meat House and Lockers at 802 Yellowstone Ave. began 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Watch to see demolition progress:
“Everything should be done next week with backfill and compaction. So, should be a vacant lot next, end of next week,” said environmental consultant Ryan McGee.
The building housed the business for decades before it was abandoned more than 10 years ago.
According to McGee, the deteriorating building was a hazard.
“It's just an unsafe environment, and so I think the overall consensus is that there's happiness that the building is getting demolished,” he said.
City code enforcement division manager Tina Hoeger agreed the property was a hazard. She said neigbors of the building reported adults, children and animals entering it.
“It attracted negative behavior, and blighted properties will do that. And the neighborhood had really suffered long enough,” she said.
The city will decide what to do with the property once the rubble clears. Hoeger is surveying the property’s neighbors and community members to help make the decision.
“We want that community feedback from that neighborhood so that we can get an idea of what they're looking for. Some of it is single-family home. There's an option for a community garden, some open space. There's a lot of different options in there,” she said.
To access the survey, click here.
