ST. PAUL, Minn. - A future is finally in sight at St. Paul's shuttered Ford plant. Crews will begin demolition of the former Ford assembly plant campus Monday morning.
Production ended in December 2011, after 86 years of operation.
Mayor Chris Coleman vowed the tearing down of the Ford assembly plant will bring a new economic engine for St. Paul. He envisions a mixed-use redevelopment with urban design and transit.
"What you can create here is an extension of the existing neighborhood, but really it's an opportunity to create something completely different, a sustainable community where there is housing, shops, playgrounds and green spaces," he said. "This is a regional opportunity, whether you are a Fortune 500 company looking for a new location or you are looking for someplace to live. This is a great opportunity."
While Ford preps for a buyer, crews must first concentrate on a space with soil contamination. Demolition and land restoration could take two to five years.
"You want to make sure you get it right. You want to make sure the pollutants don't migrate to the river, and you want to make sure the neighborhood is protected as well," said Coleman.
Coleman said Ford will look for a developer to partner with and the city of St. Paul and the neighborhood will have a voice in that conversation.
"If you are sitting on a site that is sensitive, and it's got lead paint, arsenic, I'd love to see a championship 18-golf course. It would be a fabulous use of this property," said Pete Greenheck, whose son plays baseball at the nearby Ford field.
"I'd like to see job development as well as public places for everyone to be able to use," said Highland Park resident Michele Anderson, who called the redevelopment a good opportunity to integrate better with the river and with park space.
Coleman said the area will concentrate on alternative transit such as biking, walking and possible light rail. A site that once created the car could now help reduce traffic in the next era.
"The last use was for 86 years, let's hope the next use is for a couple hundred years," said Coleman.
The city has created a website at stpaul.gov/Ford. There will be monthly updates on the project, outlining scheduled work activities on the Ford campus. If noise escalates, residents can contact the Ford demolition hotline at 651-699-1321.
Crews will only work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday to reduce noise after hours.
Demolition will officially begin after an 8 a.m. news conference on site Monday morning with the Mayor and a Ford spokesperson.
