Allison Transmission Develops Park

(posted May 10)

The blighted buildings at 4402 Cossell Road are gone as a result of a real estate transaction between Merrell Brothers and Allison. Ted Merrell of Merrell Brothers said Allison wanted to purchase the property after Merrell Brothers entered into a leasing arrangement with the Town of Speedway to build a bio-waste facility to treat septic waste on vacant land at the town's waste water treatment plant.  Merrell Brothers had planned to use the Cossell Road site.

At one time, the town was also interested in the site to relocate the street department, but since then the town has also examined moving to the available acreage at the waste water treatment plant.

Allison public information officer Eric Dickerson said Allison purchased site and tore the buildings down because "It was a piece of land that protruded into our main campus. The buildings were old and in poor shape according to our standards. Many people thought it was part of our facility all along." Allison Transmission has converted the area into a greenscape with trees and grass.