The Propulsion Systems Laboratory, which first operated in 1952, consisted of two 24-foot diameter and 14-foot long test chambers capable of firing full-scale turbojet, ramjet, and rocket engines at altitudes of up to 70,000 feet. The demolition consisted of three phases: relocation of the utilities, remediation of lead paint and asbestos, and the actual demolition of the facility. The effort began in the spring of 2008 with lead paint and asbestos abatement, including the removal of the transite walls around the Access Building and Service Support Building.
Main demolition began in May 2009 with the removal of the Service Support Building and external pipes. In June excavators demolished the shop, access building and the two altitude tanks. By August the coolers had been knocked down, and the debris had been loaded into trucks and hauled away. Approximately 1,000 tons of steel were taken away and recycled. Crews removed the concrete foundations, graded the area, and transformed the site into a parking lot and grassy area.
