The City of Sparks and Union Pacific Railroad will be allowing bricks from the soon to be demolished historical machine shop to be picked up starting Feb. 3 at the east lot of Cottonwood Park.
“It’s a bittersweet moment for our community, as the machine shop has been a historic landmark in Sparks for generations,” Mayor Ed Lawson was quoted as saying in a recent City of Sparks press release. “We appreciate Union Pacific’s efforts to offer the community a chance to retain a piece of history.”
The massive brick structure on Nugget Avenue near I-80, which was built in 1904 by Southern Pacific Railroad, helped Sparks earn its “Rail City” moniker. It remained until now at the site under a now expired land lease, but will soon be demolished to make way for truck parking.
Union Pacific said the building had safety issues. A director of public affairs was quoted in the press release as saying the railroad is maximizing “its existing footprint to support growing intermodal demand. The building will be commemorated with a plaque at its former location, and Union Pacific is partnering with the city on a community brick donation.”
According to the nonprofit Preserve Nevada, which has bemoaned this looming demolition, other local historical at-risk sites include the Lear Theater which recently failed to receive any bids to use final ARPA funds for its upkeep. It was originally designed by the renowned Black architect Paul Revere Williams in the 1930s. Rather than just stabilizing and cleaning the building for less than $1 million, some City Council members are calling for much more grandiose projects in the long unused majestic building costing around $20 million.
The Bethel AME Church at 220 Bell Street, which also has ties to Black history, is equally listed at risk with council discussions to restrict access from nearby streets and alleys due to pending development proposals.