LONGMONT, Colo.—Longmont's old sugar factory spewed smoke Sunday night, signaling yet another incentive for Dick Thomas to redevelop the abandoned site.
The property owner since October 1980 said he's seeing new opportunity for medical offices with the construction of the newUniversity of Colorado Health hospital at the northwest corner of County Line Road and Ken Pratt Boulevard in Longmont.
With the seeding company, Syngenta Seeds, established nearby and Great Western Sugar Company still utilizing the factory's silos, Thomas said marketing the heavy industrial space in unincorporated Boulder County is complicated.
"We've always tried to figure out what to do with it," Thomas said.
On Sunday night, thick black smoke drifted from the south side of the main building where flames were visible in a second-story window at 11939 Sugar Mill Road.
Thomas said the fire burned wooden shelving in a former tool room, which stored the factory's replacement parts, such as belts.
Thomas added he believes kids set the blaze, which he said was reported to law enforcement by a worker who lives on-site. He said the property — abandoned since 1977 — has attracted vandals and trespassers throughout the years.
"It's a big party place," Thomas said. "He runs them off, but it's just a constant struggle."
The Longmont Fire Department has decided not to pursue investigating the cause of the fire, spokeswoman Molly Cropp said.
"The building is too dangerous for anyone to be in," Cropp said.
Source: www.timescall.com