Salida City Council Approves Unfinished And New Business, Learns of Railyard Buildings’ Demolition – by Merrell Bergin

The Salida City Council concluded a busy week with a work session and regular meeting that required at least two separate stories to cover. In this final report, a tally of outcomes of key unfinished and new business is summarized, leading off with a surprise announcement by the City Administrator, Christy Doon.

Railroad/CALCO Buildings Coming Down…Over Time, and More Fireworks

Closing out her report, City Administrator Christy Doon brought up an icon, familiar to anyone who hikes, bikes, or floats the river along the railyards, east of Salida and the Scout Hut.

Doon reminded the audience that “Union Pacific (UPRR) owns property on the north side of the river, including the old CALCO lime processing building. That building has been a big liability for the city… a lot of illegal uses,” she said.

The site was formerly a major hub for both narrow and standard gauge trains, bringing nearly constant freight and passenger traffic that was key to Salida’s development.

“Union Pacific is moving forward to demolishing the “CALCO” buildings. The contractor responsible will being work on November 4. They’ll start with the outbuildings (large tanks), then next spring, they’ll move to site remediation and demolishing the large building (D&RGW “Backshop”), added Doon.

Questions of Impact

Many questions remain; among them: Why now, at last? How will the contractors handle airborne particulates and remove large amounts of likely hazardous waste along a rough dirt trail, adjacent to the Gold Medal Trout Arkansas River? And looking ahead, what is the intention of the UPRR for the future of this large parcel – development, rail, or?

And, as if that were not enough “fireworks”, there was a celebratory note. Doon also announced that thanks to significant community donations the Salida Fire Department would once again, launch the beloved tradition of fireworks on “Christmas Mountain”, the day after Thanksgiving this year.

“Then and Now: Salida D&RG Backshop”

D&RGW Backshop “from Salida Museum Negatives Collection, labeled Wm. L. Poller Company taken January 1955 by Morris Photo Studio.  Photo courtesy Joy Jackson/Salida Library/Salida Museum

Writing in the April, 2021 Salida Museum Newsletter, local historian and railroad buff Earle Kittleman displayed archival photographs from the early days of the railyards.

One caption reads: “By this time [1955] the D&RGW had abandoned its narrow gauge system. Freight and passenger trains still came through Salida, but it was no longer a transfer point from narrow gauge to standard gauge rolling stock.”

Undated photo courtesy Earle Kittleman/Salida Museum

“The Colorado Lime Co., doing business as CALCO, use[d] the building and eight-acre site to process and bag limestone products. It’s the same building, though obscured by two big bins and other appurtenances,” read this caption.

Oher intriguing photos of the backshop are here, as collected by Sublunar Photography.

Unfinished Business

A pair of Ordinances (2025-19 and 2025-20) passed, formalizing the annexation of property formerly owned by David and Kathy Armstrong and purchased by the city in 2022. The deed-restricted parcels adjacent to the South Ark Neighborhood may be requested to be rezoned to Open Space under the proposed land use code. According to Community Development Director Bill Almquist, annexation allows the city to make infrastructure improvements on its own property, not as the county’s.

New Business Items All Pass

• Resolution 2025-50 now extends the ground lease at West First and D Streets with Artspace Projects, Inc. until Dec. 31, 2026. The site continues to be a free, unpaved city parking lot until such time as affordable housing may be built. Council member Wayles Martin questioned the delays, a lack of progress, and where Salida stands in the list of priorities for multiple Artspace projects.

Featured image: “CALCO” buildings, as seen currently across from Salida’s Riverwalk. The obscured building originally housed the D&RGW “Backshop.” Merrell Bergin photo