Industrial Reuse and New Construction in Gillette, Wyoming

Putting a new industry on ground that once moved coal is the work around Gillette, and it starts with deciding what to keep. We demolish what is spent, reinforce what is sound and build new steel and metal buildings where a tenant needs them, all on sites with rail, power and haul roads that were laid out for something much larger.

Campbell County commissioners approved carving out nearly 1,500 acres of the Coal Creek mine, about 30 miles southeast of Gillette near Wright, and rezoning it heavy industrial, keeping the coal tipple, rail lines and buildings in place for future tenants (reported January 2024). A few miles north of Gillette, a former mine became an industrial park that hosts a carbon products operation and a small innovation center researching non-burning uses of Powder River Basin coal. Both show the pattern: existing infrastructure, a heavy industrial zoning district and a tenant who needs a building.

We are the contractor who walks that ground with you, reads what is there and prices what it takes to make it work. Gillette sits at 4,554 feet on I-90, with 17.59 inches of precipitation and 55.7 inches of snow a year, so we plan the work for winter from the first walk.

Demolish, Reinforce, Rebuild

Reuse starts with a survey. We look at slabs, footings, structural steel, rail and conveyor corridors, and utilities to decide what is worth keeping. Industrial demolition comes next, done in the order that keeps structures stable and keeps worker exposure down: lock out, strip, cut, remove, recycle. Concrete and steel go to reuse or scrap where we can. On a former mine site, we also plan for heavy dust, crossing haul roads and the long, cold winter that follows a late-season start.

Rebuilding follows. New foundations tie into old ones with engineered details, new structural steel frames go up inside or beside existing structures, and the floor gets replaced where it can no longer carry a modern load. We install fire water loops and hydrants and rework drainage for sites that were built for different flows.

Coal Country in Transition

The Black Thunder mine in Campbell County has produced roughly 25 percent of U.S. thermal coal, and combined Black Thunder and Coal Creek output peaked in 2014 at 110.4 million tons. The operator announced in 2020 that it planned to shut down both mines. Whatever the timeline turns out to be, owners, counties and tenants are all asking the same question: what comes next on this ground?

The answer will not be one project. It will be small and mid-size uses that fit around existing infrastructure, such as processing, light manufacturing, storage and power-related facilities. That is why we plan around utilities and power work, and why we keep a close eye on Wright, where a company housing development became a town beside the largest coal operation in the basin.

Preconstruction on Old Ground

Former mine sites carry unknowns: backfilled areas, buried utilities, old drainage, and structures with no drawings. We spend more time in preconstruction here than on a clean field. Test pits, geotechnical borings and utility locating come first. We give owners a number with allowances for the unknowns, and we track each allowance openly as the work unfolds.

We also document condition before we touch anything. Photos, survey and written notes establish what the ground and structures looked like on the day we arrived. That record protects you if a neighbor, an agency or a future tenant asks questions later.

What Drives Cost on a Gillette Site

Distance and weather lead the list. Gillette is far from the state's other industrial centers, so deliveries, mobilization and crew housing carry weight. Snow removal, heated concrete and short winter days appear in the general conditions. Existing infrastructure can lower cost significantly, but only if it passes inspection; a rail line, a tipple or a power feed that needs rebuilding changes the math.

The other major driver is the building itself. A pre-engineered metal building goes up fast and keeps cost predictable on a heavy industrial lot. Custom structural steel costs more but carries cranes, mezzanines and process loads. We give you both prices and tell you what each commits you to.

Zoning, Codes and Permits

Heavy industrial zoning is the starting point, and the Coal Creek carve-out shows a county willing to rezone for future tenants. Building codes are still local, however. Wyoming has no single statewide building code, and the state, which adopted the 2024 International Codes on June 28, 2024, relies on cities and counties to adopt and enforce them. We ask the reviewing office which edition and amendments apply to your parcel.

Reused buildings add another wrinkle: existing structure rules. The 2024 state adoption includes the International Existing Building Code, and those provisions govern how much of an old structure can be altered before the whole building must be brought up to current standards. Bring us the drawings you have, and we will build a permit strategy around them. For related work to the west along I-90, we also serve Sheridan.

Walk a Gillette Site With Us

Send us the parcel, any drawings you have and the use you are planning. We will walk it, tell you what is worth keeping and price the rest.

Common Questions

Can an old mine building be reused for a new industrial tenant?

Sometimes, and the savings can be large. Campbell County's Coal Creek carve-out keeps the coal tipple, rail lines and buildings in place for future tenants. Whether a given structure is usable depends on inspection, loads, foundations and code. We survey, test and report before you commit capital, so you know what is salvage and what is scrap.

How much snow should a Gillette building design for?

Gillette averages 55.7 inches of snowfall a year, but design snow loads come from the local building code, not from averages. Ask the Campbell County or Gillette reviewing office for the published values and have your engineer design to them. We build the roof and the drainage for that load and for the wind that comes with it.

What is the difference between demolition and selective demolition?

Selective demolition removes only parts of a structure, such as a floor, a bay or a mezzanine, while leaving the rest in service. It takes more engineering because the remaining structure must stay stable and safe. We use it on reuse projects where the frame is sound but the interior no longer fits the process.

How do I fund a large reuse project?

Owners should ask the county and the Wyoming Business Council about current programs, and compare each against the time it takes to receive funds. We provide the cost estimates and schedules that lenders and agencies require, and we break the work into phases so you can start with the best-value piece.

What should I check before buying former mine ground?

Start with what is under and around the site. Backfilled areas can settle, old drainage may carry water where you do not expect it, and buried utilities may not match any drawing. Ask the seller and the county about reclamation obligations and mineral rights, then commission geotechnical borings before closing. We can run the field work and give you a cost range for the foundations that the results point to, so the purchase price and the build cost can be judged together.