Bricks May Be Saved From Smokestack At Ex-Gibson Guitar Site

PlazaCorp Realty Advisors says a decision to demolish the smokestack was made by a court-appointed advocate for the property and approved in December by a court.

Some have called for preserving the smokestack, which features the Gibson name. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that PlazaCorp says a structural evaluation determined that the smokestack is in danger of falling down due to lack of maintenance.

Keeping the smokestack in place could cost around $800,000. It could be taken down brick-by-brick, however, with pieces saved for use in future redevelopment of the site. Now called the Kalamazoo Enterprise Center, the site was the home of Gibson Guitar until the mid-1980s.