Cargill plans to tear down the 30-year-old concrete elevator at Raymore, Sask., because it no longer fits into its plans
Residents of Raymore, Sask., are fighting a last minute battle to save a concrete elevator from the wrecking ball.
Cargill Canada is planning to demolish the elevator in the community about 100 kilometres north of Regina.
The facility was built in the mid-1980s but it no longer fits into Cargill’s plans.
Raymore mayor Malcolm Koncz said the company has expressed its intent to demolish the building, but had not yet applied for a demolition permit as of May 20.
Terry Fazakas, a Raymore resident and business owner, is leading an effort to buy the elevator.
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He said demolishing it would hurt the local economy and the community.
He thinks the terminal can be used to create local jobs and develop new business opportunities.
Fazakas has already submitted an offer to buy the terminal and is putting together a business plan at Cargill’s request.
He said the elevator could serve a niche market in agriculture, perhaps handling specialty crops that Cargill doesn’t deal in.
“We know we’d have to sign a non-compete clause,” Fazakas said. “There are lots of potential uses that won’t have an impact on what Cargill is doing.”
The Raymore terminal was used to collect canola before it closed in December 2015.
Oilseeds were delivered to the facility, stored and transferred to other Cargill locations, including the company’s specialty oil crushing plant in Clavet, Sask.
Cargill spokesperson Connie Tamoto said the company is reviewing all its options, including Fazakas’s offer to buy the terminal.
“These types of things take time, and we want to ensure proper due course is followed throughout the process,” Tamoto said in an email.
Koncz said Raymore’s town council fully supports Fazakas’s efforts to acquire and repurpose the facility.
The loss of any business can have a serious impact on the health of a local community, he said.
Timing will be critical in efforts to save the facility, Fazakas added.
The terminal was initially slated for demolition this summer.
brian.cross@producer.com
