Cleveland wants to use dry river muck to create industrial park in the Cuyahoga River valley

by Tom Breckenridge/Plain Dealer Reporter

CLEVELAND -- Mounds of dried river muck would be dumped and leveled to help create a large industrial park in the Cuyahoga River valley, under a unique plan crafted by Cleveland officials.

The city is working with the Army Corps of Engineers on an effort to scoop 500,000 cubic yards of dredged muck from dikes north of Burke Lakefront Airport.

The dirt -- enough to fill 154 Olympic-sized pools -- could be taken to a valley west and south of Pershing Avenue and Interstate 77, officials say. That would be only half of what's needed.

Cleveland seeks 1 million cubic yards of fill to create a 54-acre industrial site, with a project cost of $18 million, said Tracey Nichols, the city's economic development director. The site could handle 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and create up to 300 jobs, Nichols said.



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