Old Conn factory to be demolished

brassmedic · by **brassmedic** » 2023-08-20 4:31 p.m.

<LINK_TEXT text="https://wsbt.com/news/local/cg-conn-cha ... KL2jFJBwJg">https://wsbt.com/news/local/cg-conn-charles-gerard-musical-band-instrument-factory-former-demolished-first-saxophone-sousaphone-american-made-health-safety-environmental-impact-residential-housing-redevelopment-historical-museum-beardsley-avenue-elkhart-indiana?fbclid=IwAR3GqNvVE-Swox-oUIcxzHGlrf9KYjzZPkqi3MLlCoRAuWimqKL2jFJBwJg</LINK_TEXT>

JohnL · by **JohnL** » 2023-08-20 5:38 p.m.

Specifics will be made available after demolition.

What are we going to do with the land once we tear down the building? Oh, don't worry about that - we'll explain that all once it's too late to do anything about it.

They should collect the bricks and sell 'em as souvenirs.

AndrewMeronek · by **AndrewMeronek** » 2023-08-20 6:35 p.m.

Sounds like it's to be converted to residential zoning.

Always makes me sad when planners can't simply update a building for new use than to just demolish it.

harrisonreed · by **harrisonreed** » 2023-08-20 7:12 p.m.

Sounds like there is a lot of environmental clean up that will happen on the site. Maybe not the worst thing in the world.

Posaunus · by **Posaunus** » 2023-08-20 7:38 p.m.

I own, and love, several wonderful trombones that came from that factory.

But it seems that C. G. Conn did not use "environmentally sensitive" manufacturing practices during the many decades they occupied that building. It's now time to clean up that site and put it to a useful purpose. R.I.P.

(But I'll be happy to take a few bricks!)

Matt_K · by **Matt_K** » 2023-08-20 8:10 p.m.

Even newish housing designed for housing may not have up-to-date standards. Particularly radon mitigation, newer electrical safety standards etc. a building shaped to manufacture musical instruments as long ago as it was is certainly not the optimal footprint for residential use too

octavposaune · by **octavposaune** » 2023-08-20 8:58 p.m.

Everyone here also missed one important thing, thats only a small part of the original building. Most of it was torn down decades ago. This was probably the chemical area where the amazingly toxic chemicals were being used. Vats of chlorinated solvent degreasers, plating chemicals for Chrome are particularly nasty, plus lead solder of course

I saw that building in 2012 with DJ when we went to Elkhart to tour Blessing and Bach

JohnL · by **JohnL** » 2023-08-20 9:17 p.m.

I'm not so concerned about them demolishing the building (which is sad, but what else are they gonna do with it), it's more that they're not saying what they're planning for the parcel that has my spidey sense tingling a bit. Maybe I'm just sensitive because there's a bunch of stuff going on with the city government where I live (grand jury, FBI investigation, former mayor pleading guilty to corruption charges).

I'm looking at a satellite image of the site on Google Maps. There's a lot of open space around the old Conn building. Looks like it might actually be in or at least adjacent to a fairly nice part of town. I'll try to keep an eye on it to see what happens to that parcel.

It's right next door to a senior assisted living facility (Greenleaf Health Campus); I wonder if they might be planning to expand that? Lots of aging boomers out there.

<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6964313 ... ?entry=ttu">https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6964313,-85.9590921,268m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu</LINK_TEXT>

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Old Conn factory to be demolished