Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 |
Photo – Wyoming Bar – Courtesy Rawlins DDA
Rawlins officials have approved a plan to use state funding to demolish the old Wyoming Bar.
On Friday, September 26th, the Rawlins City Council held a special meeting to approve the submission of a $507,000 Community Development Block Grant application. If approved, the money would be used to tear down the Wyoming Bar, located at 413 West Front Street.
Rawlins Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Pam Thayer began with a brief history of the property, explaining that the Wyoming Bar building was constructed in 1888. The structure was bought by Judy Hubbard in 1992. Thayer said that by 2016, the building had deteriorated enough to pose a safety concern to the City. Despite its poor condition, Thayer said the structure remained sound until 2010.
Thayer said the elements have steadily worn down the Wyoming Bar building since 2010, and it’s now considered too dangerous to occupy.
Over the past decade, Thayer said eight separate individuals have been issued Certificates of Purchase, or CPs, for the property. The DDA Director said despite the multiple transfers, the structure is too compromised to restore or repurpose.
In the past, Thayer said several Certificate of Purchase holders have approached the Downtown Development Authority with offers to sell or donate the property. However, the city organization was not in a position to take ownership.
Fast forward to 2025, as part of the Brownfields Assessment Program, the City of Rawlins has been working with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to determine if any derelict buildings contain hazardous contamination. The state hired Cheyenne-based consulting firm Ayres Associates to perform the environmental assessments. Thayer said Ayres completed a historical study of the Wyoming Bar building, but the structure is too unstable to conduct additional testing.
After finishing its Brownfields assessment, Thayer said Ayres Associates found a Wyoming Community Development Authority grant to demolish the Wyoming Bar building. However, due to the difficulty of contacting all eight Certificate of Purchase holders and the tight application deadline, Thayer said the DDA Board of Directors chose not to pursue the grant. In response, the deed holder, Judy Hubbard, offered to give the property to the City if the Downtown Development Authority could secure the grant funding, prompting the need for Friday’s special meeting.
Thayer explained that if the City Council authorizes the grant application, the Downtown Development Authority will seek $507,000 from the Wyoming Community Development Authority to tear the building down. The remaining $15,000 in back taxes will come out of the DDA’s budget.
Thayer emphasized that the City is not being asked to contribute any money toward the project.
While she is sad to see the historic building torn down, the DDA Director said the structure must be removed for safety.
Thayer said the Downtown Development Authority will save some of the 137-year-old bricks to use in a future project.
The DDA Director said once the building is demolished, the site will be leveled and prepared for redevelopment. Thayer said she isn’t sure how the property will ultimately be used but assured the City Council they will be included in the planning process.
The Rawlins City Council approved the $507,000 Community Development Block Grant application. The Wyoming Community Development Authority is expected to review the submission in December. If approved, demolition should begin next spring.
