Sparrows Point, RIP

Sparrows Point is dead.

As recently reported, the steel mill complex at Sparrows Point is shutting down and will be demolished.  The massive plant that supplied steel for the Golden Gate Bridge, the George Washington Bridge in NYC and a massive supply of war materiel in both World Wars is going to be scrapped.

During World War II at the height of production, streetcars would pull out of Sparrows Point on a 30-second stroke, moving massive numbers of women and men home from the nearly 4-mile long complex.  It was a cathedral of industrial planning, capital and labor that made Baltimore and its large port nearly as important to the steel industry as was Pittsburgh.  It is no more.

Time will tell what they do with the space.  It’s for the owners to decide and the market to respond, of course, but I would love to see it turn into Sparrows Point 2.0, hi-tech, biotech and start-up hub.  And while you’re at it, maybe throw some streetcars in? Pretty please?

Posted by Bruce Godfrey

Leave a Reply