The Future
In 1975, beginning with the open hearth building, U.S. Steel began to demolish much of the massive structures that dotted the 1,600-acre (6.5 km2) sites and began preparing the industrial park for future development. In 1984, following an inspection by the Pollution Control Agency, the former Duluth Works steel plant site was put on the National Priorities List for the federally funded "superfund" program. Areas of heavy pollution were found on the site and were required to be cleaned up by U.S. Steel. This process has been ongoing since that time, but the site still has areas of concern by residents, future developers and pollution and environmental agencies. The city of Duluth has recently purchased the cement plant site and is developing that 65-acre (260,000 m2) area through its Duluth Economic and Development Authority (DEDA), although U.S. Steel still owns the 640-acre (2.6 km2) former Duluth Works land. In April 2008 the Duluth based photographic enhancement company, Ikonics, announced it would develop 40 acres (160,000 m2) on the property to build a warehouse and, later, move its West Duluth headquarters operations to Morgan Park at the former Atlas Cement plant site. Development at the long vacant site will begin once again. On February 5, 2009 the State of Minnesota awarded the Duluth Port Authority a $50, 000 investigative grant to determine the feasibility of re-developing 123 acres (0.50 km2) of the former steel plant site as a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) warehouse and light industrial park for storage of energy creating windmills. The investigation is ongoing. On February 9, 2011 State Senator Roger Reinert sent a message proposal to Governor Mark Dayton suggesting the placement of the Minnesota Vikings stadium at the Duluth Works site.
Read more about this topic: Duluth Works
Famous quotes containing the words the future and/or future:
“It would be no reproach to a philosopher, that he knew the future better than the past, or even than the present. It is better worth knowing.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It is marvelous indeed to watch on television the rings of Saturn close; and to speculate on what we may yet find at galaxy’s edge. But in the process, we have lost the human element; not to mention the high hope of those quaint days when flight would create “one world.” Instead of one world, we have “star wars,” and a future in which dumb dented human toys will drift mindlessly about the cosmos long after our small planet’s dead.”
—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)
“We live in an age when to be young and to be indifferent can be no longer synonymous. We must prepare for the coming hour. The claims of the Future are represented by suffering millions; and the Youth of a Nation are the trustees of Posterity.”
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)