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Editorial: Moving plant a positive step
Op-Ed · August 10, 2017
The Croell Redi-Mix plan to move to the industrial park, worked out in a deal with the City of West Branch, created one of those win-win situations that help an old city transform into a new city with a clearer outlay.
Croell Redi-Mix and its successors at 325 East Green Street have been located there for at least 30 years, though possibly much longer. The current company purchased the business in 1989. We could not find any historical evidence to support this belief, but it seems quite likely the cement plant opened downtown due to its proximity to the Rock Island railroad, and though the local train station closed in 1980, the plant remained in business.
Now, with the railroad gone, most industrial companies coming to town are attracted to the city’s outskirts, especially the industrial park. The City of West Branch, interested in turning its downtown into a hub of small businesses and housing, particularly apartments, saw an opportunity with the cement plant: Croell Redi-Mix was preparing to replace the old, downtown plant.
The City purchased 12 acres for $225,000 in the industrial park and offered eight to the cement plant for a new, larger location. The mutual agreement will give Croell twice the space as its downtown location, and the city wants to find a developer interested in building multi-family housing.
And it has a few interested parties.
Four acres in the downtown the size of West Branch’s is a good size to make a significant impact on the look of Main Street, and a chance to expand its curb appeal a bit further to the east. The investment in even a small apartment complex will generate jobs and property taxes as well.
The agreement between the City of West Branch and Croell will benefit both parties. Croell will find a better fit in the industrial park, and an apartment complex or other multi-family construction would be a better fit for how West Branch has developed.
Croell could get into its new location as early as this year, or as late as next spring. We look forward to seeing what eventually ends up in Croell’s current location and find ourselves hopeful it will enhance the look and feel of downtown.
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