Many residents gave directions based on "la tinaja de agua" to guide people to the barrio. The 1.0 MG multi-column elevated storage tank was constructed in 1969 and was judged to be in "poor" condition by Brad McCrea–Dunham Engineering on March 2016.
At that time, the engineering firm recommended that "the tank should be rehabilitated, repaired or demolished within the next 12 months."The PUB issued Requests For Qualifications (RFQs) to demolition firms and settled on Hunter Demolition & Wrecking (from Poteet, south of San Antonio) and the amount of the award was $109,000.
The tower was erected in 1969 on land belonging to the Brownsville Independent School District on the Cromack Elementary School campus. Since then, it has fallen on hard times and had not been in use for more than a year before demolition began.
During the inspection, engineers noted that there was "widespread corrosion damage. Water compartment ladder and roof ladder is unsafe. Roof hatch is not locked. Holes in roof. Overflow flap valve does not function properly."Additional problems existed because of "holes in roof and pinhole leaks due to corrosion damage...."
The streets (Southmost and Lima) will not be closed and the demolition will be contained in the fenced off area where the tank is currently located. The demolition company will be allowed to keep all the scrap metal to dispose of as it sees fit (scrap, salvage?). The only think the PUB will keep will be the antennas at the top of the structure.
The company feels it can accomplish the demolition within 120 days weather permitting.
We thank Lima Street resident Jose Sandoval for this nice photo.)