MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A piece of Muskegon history will come down Tuesday morning, as crews demolish another smoke stack at the old Sappi Fine Paper Mill on Lakeshore Drive.
The demolition is expected to start around 7 a.m. and will be livestreamed on woodtv.com. Drone 8 will take to the sky for the planned felling.
There is no public viewing available for the demolition. Residents are asked to stay outside the 1,000-foot perimeter of the site for their safety.
Drivers, beware: Lakeshore Drive will close to traffic between Mc Cracken and Cottage Grove streets from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Several side streets including LeBoeuf Street, Lincoln Street, LaRue Street, Clifford Street and Sherin Street will also shut down for a couple of city blocks.
Local traffic will be able to access Lakeshore Drive by Leboeuf Street.
The smokestack is too unstable for workers to remove its asbestos lined paint and must be knocked down first. Muskegon police say workers will test the air quality immediately after the demolition, and continue testing the air until it’s deemed safe.
The Sappi Fine Paper Mill was one of the main drivers of Muskegon’s economy for nearly a century. The 120-acre site will be transformed into a commercial development dubbed “Windward Pointe.”
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Photo Courtesy Pure Muskegon