SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Demolition at the former Pillsbury Mills site is underway.Â
A central warehouse is now completely demolished, as well as two other facilities on the campus. Chris Richmond, the president of Moving Pillsbury Forward, said the organization is doing their best to make sure the stories behind the buildings are remembered.Â
"Springfield has a 90-year history, with Pillsbury being an integral part of our community," said Richmond. "There are literally hundreds of former workers that still live in the community."Â
For Richmond, the project is personal. His father worked at the facility for 21 years, and he's been able to meet some of his father's coworkers through the project.
Richmond said he's talked to several former employees of Pillsbury, who have walked him through the facilities and told him stories.Â
"When we walked into the locker room and he walked right to where his locker was and he said, 'This was my locker, and right here was my father, his was was next to me.' and I thought, wow, that's fantastic. It was a generational place to work," said Richmond.Â
Information about the Pillsbury Mills project can be found here.
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