Tallest Part of Former Hennepin Steel Mill Imploded

And the walls came tumbling down.

There was a 3 minute warning for the drones, a 1-minute countdown, and just like that, the tallest building at the former Hennepin Steel Mill imploded.


John Bourdin, a spokesperson for the Marino Development Group, who oversees the site said Dykon Blasting of Tulsa, Okla. was responsible for coordinating the demolition of the building and monitoring logistics and safety of the take-down, which happened at 10 a.m. Thursday morning.

Other onsite subcontractors including Tiger Demolition of Saint Amant, La., and R&M of Cedar Rapids, Iowa will remain at the former plant site to reclaim copper, steel, aluminum and other materials and to complete property cleanup, Bourdin said.

“This is one of two national “megasites” that national brokers and employers from around the world will be looking at,” Bourdin said. “The developer will be looking at companies that may want to come in and take over the property for the barge and/or rail access.”

The Hennepin Industrial Development LLC, under the umbrella of Marion Development in Chicago, headed by William Marino, is overseeing the demolition, salvaging and ongoing cleanup of the property.

Marino’s group purchased the 873-acre site in April for $5 million from IPS Steel of Michigan and plans to “strategically redevelop” the property for multiple uses,” William Marino said.

Marino reports that the highest portion of the building along with the shipping line was imploded today, but that is, as of now, the group’s only planned use of explosives. About 65-percent of the structures are currently remaining, but those will come down over the next year Marino said. Once above ground demolition is complete, underground work will continue into spring 2018.

Marino said the demolition was not initially planned for Thursday, and the group coordinated with local law enforcement to keep a tight reign on any outgoing information for safety reasons.

“We really weren’t able to release any details to the public before hand because we didn’t want to jeopardize safety or bring people into the site and there aren’t too many things I can discuss right now, but I will have information coming soon on some exciting things we are planning,” Marino said.

Arcelor Mittal, the last employer at the property closed the plant in 2009.

Source: News Tribune