Coca-Cola Plant in Amarillo to be Demolished. Then What?

An abandoned Coca-Cola plant at 701 S. Lincoln in Amarillo, TX will be torn down, leaving behind a vacant lot. City officials want to build a $45 million multipurpose event center in its place, hopefully to house a Double A minor league baseball team, the San Antonio Mission.  The city, however, has yet to sign a contract with Elmore Sports Group, the Missions’ owners.

Asbestos removal from the building will begin Oct. 7, with demolition tentatively scheduled for Nov. 7. Some are concerned, however, at the lack of definite planning. Deputy City Manager Bob Cowell wouldn’t recommend spending money on land improvements, until the city had a clearer vision. Meanwhile, MaryAlice Torres-McDonald, with Texas Tech University’s College of Architecture, said demolishing a building without a plan is “the antithesis of redevelopment.”

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