Landmark grain silos to be torn down. They’ve stood near downtown Fresno nearly 80 years

A towering cluster of grain silos that has stood for nearly 80 years just north of downtown Fresno will soon be coming down, said the owners of the property, Producers Dairy.

The three-acre site includes the 100-foot high silos and a two-story brick building, and hasn’t been operational in years. Extensive scavenging, mostly for copper wire, along with vandalism and deteriorated conditions have left the once mighty feed mill unusable and unsafe.

Built in 1948 by the J.B. Hill Company, a supplier of hay, grain, seed, poultry and stock feed, the mill became one of the largest grain and feed processors in the state, according to city records. The property changed hands in 1979, with Zacky Farms owning and operating it until 2012.

The last owner of the property was Bels Poultry of Sanger, which sold it to Producers Dairy about five years ago for an undisclosed sum.

Standing nearly 10 stories high, the weathered gray silos can be seen for miles on a clear day.

Passersby will already notice a multi-level scaffolding has been erected on one side of the silos in preparation of removing asbestos from the structure.

The silos, along with a grain elevator, and buildings will be “systematically deconstructed in a mechanical process,” from the top down over the next few months, Producers Dairy officials told The Bee.

Producers Dairy, through an affiliated entity, bought the property and plans to clear the space for a future use.

Although the company did not say what those plans might be, it did say it is “actively working to find solutions to promote and enhance the Tower District, address concerns that have been raised regarding industrial land uses, reduce traffic in residential areas, and beautify the area.”

During the demolition, Producers Dairy will not need to close H Street and the dairy has no plans to propose closing H Street.

Producers Dairy and impact on neighborhood

Residents and advocates in the south Tower area clashed with Producers Dairy about four years ago over a truck parking lot on Roosevelt and Belmont Avenues.

Neighbors were concerned about increased semi-truck traffic, worsening air quality and pedestrian safety.

Kiel Lopez-Schmidt, executive director of the South Tower Community Land Trust, proposes Producers Dairy use the old feed mill property on H street for a new parking lot.

“I want to see them do better and make a solid commitment to the neighborhood,” Schmidt said.

Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents that area of the city, said he would also like to see the Producers trucks moved from the Belmont Avenue parking lot. Two brick buildings on the property that were once the home of the Central Valley Cheese Co. could also be renovated and used as a community or cultural center, Arias said.

Founded in 1932, Producers Dairy is headquartered on Belmont and Palm avenues in a sprawling 13-acre site where it producers numerous dairy products including milk. It employs approximately 500 people, of which about 300 live within a 10-mile radius of the plant, according to company officials.

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