Just thought I'd mention the Globe facility has some wrecking cranes on the property.

What's that?

http://www.google....,0.010815&t=k&om=1

Globe Metallurgical Inc.

The Niagara Falls Plant is located at 3807 Highland Avenue and is the oldest operating alloy plant in the country. It consists of approximately 500,000 sq. feet of operating facility and employs approximately 80 people. It was established in the early 1900’s as Pittsburgh Metallurgical. At that time it was a one-furnace operation producing ferrosilicon for the steel industry. During the 1940’s and 1950’s (employment of 300-400 people) the facility expanded to 7 small furnaces with a product range of silicon metal, ferrosilicon, pig iron and ferrochrome.Niagara Falls Plant In 1962 Pittsburgh Metallurgical added #9 furnace for ferrosilicon and #10 tilter furnace for stainless steel. The plant was sold in 1968 to Airco Alloys and produced ferrosilicon and stainless steel. Airco eliminated the 7 small furnaces in 1975 and built another large furnace - #11. Primary production became ferrochrome and ferroalloys. In 1978 Airco Alloys sold the facility to BOC and in 1979 BOC to SKW Alloys. The tilter furnace operation ceased in 1984 and in 1986 SKW Alloys converted #9 furnace from ferrochrome and ferrosilicon to silicon metal for the chemical industry. Globe Metallurgical Inc. purchased the Niagara Falls Plant facility in December 1994 and, in addition to several improvements, converted the #11 furnace from ferrosilicon to silicon metal in 1997. The Plant now produces silicon metal with the by-product of silica fume from both furnaces. The Niagara Falls facility has been able to advance itself in the alloy industry by practicing the philosophy of quality and cost-effectiveness. ISO 9002 was achieved in 1994 and, through hard work and determination, other achievements have been made with the advancement of procedures and technologies.

The Highland Avenue manufacturer of silicon metal shut down "temporarily" a few weeks before Christmas in 2001, and reopened amid much hype from local politicians eager to glom credit in 2002. The plant finally closed its doors for good in September 2003, a few months after Globe won a new round of concessions from Local 9436 of the United Steelworkers of America, which represented about 50 hourly employees. The permanent layoffs came with just three days notice -- or 57 fewer than mandated by federal labor law. The company also froze the workers' 401(k) plans and resisted paying them for unused vacation time or settling on a severance package required by their contract.

Meanwhile, Globe's furnaces sit dormant, the decaying plant yet another stark reminder of the exodus of industry from Niagara Falls. Like so many other companies, Globe took the government money and ran, spurning a competitor's offer to purchase the plant and keep it open, instead leaving a mess that the politicians who so eagerly showered it with grants and subsidies do their best to ignore. "They end up owing the IDA money, they take advantage of the community," said G. Daniel Dunlap, subdistrict director for the USWA's Western New York branch. "I can't believe they've been able to get away with it."

Anyways, batteries died when we were checking out http://www.uer.ca/...ow.asp?locid=25365 right across the road.

Ah, the place across from Carbo-Sil. That place is huge.

Yeah, unless my memory's failing me, I'm pretty sure they've had wrecking cranes on that property for a while now. It looks like it might be a good place though. I made a number of attempts to get inside the property, but never had any luck. If they are taking it down then hopefully it'll make for some easier exploring opportunities.

Is the property with the two large smokestacks that were talking about or the one to the left of it. I remember it looking pretty impresive when i was last there.

Anyone know the status of this place? Everytime I've driven by, there has been security on patrol, but doesn't look like much action on the site.

I haven't been around that part of the Falls for a while.