Brawley water tower to be demolished
Karina Bazarte
BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The Hinojosa Park water tower is set to be demolished in August and many locals are sad about the news.
Brawley Mayor Gil Rebollar says the process started three years ago when the previous council got a grant from then State Senator Ben Hueso.
The mayor says they brought in a contractor in hopes of keeping the tower as a historical monument but it did not meet the standards.
“As we went through this process from the material, we were hoping to repurpose the material but due to the rust the paint, there is some toxicity that does not allow us to repurpose the parts for a stage or a community amenity,” said Mayor Rebollar.
The water tower is 150 feet tall and has stood for 90 years, nearly a century. The tower was once used to provide water pressure to the locals.
“I’ll mourn it. I’ll mourn it like I lost a special friend, but I understand that it’s time has come,” said Max Reyes.
Bellarosa Valdez says she grew up in Brawley with all of her family but she moved when she was just 18.She says the tower hold many memories. It’s why she came to see it one last time.
“I felt eager to come out here and take a look at it one last time before it goes away. I am excited to see what the future holds and what there is plans for it and hopefully it’s another iconic feature,” said Bellarosa Valdez.
Demolishing plans are set to start at the beginning of August.