Time for a thread resurrection!
I've recently become increasingly interested in the prospect of public land and rehabilitation of wildlife spaces in our cities (and beyond). My buddy and I have been exploring a lot of the parks and public land that sits along the river. One section I've yet to make my way into is the Pig's Eye Park. Access seems kind of obscure and I really don't know how great the air around there is to breathe.
Anyways! One of the many buildings that I was hoping would one day become park land is actually potentially on the verge of reality. Gerdau Steel may be closing for good according to some recent reviews, and the news last year of the layoffs.
At the same time, it looks like the Army Corps is preparing to start the island reconstruction project, with the Met Council voting on it next month.
The Gerdau building is beautiful in it's own regard, and absolutely MASSIVE. There are so many opportunities for what this space could become next. Whatever it becomes, having it transit connected could create more demand for development of the land south at Newport Bus Station (remember that project?). And could create a large rehabilitation project that would create a cleaner portion of the Mississippi. This is not a project I would see happening in the next 3 years, but rather a 10+ year project of healing for a section of the city that seems to have been forgotten history.
I'll leave you all with a couple links to start imagining it,
Völklingen Ironworks:
https://goo.gl/maps/fEbb5QUQz9hvpa3f6
Gas Works Park:
https://goo.gl/maps/JMhDtXXAxZMXQbEn7