Lady Rosalynn Carter, supported preservation efforts. Today, it houses community events, professional performances, and the city’s international princess pageant while maintaining its original Wurlitzer organ. INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION FROM STEEL TO HIGH-TECH Lorain’s economic transformation centers on repurposing industrial infrastructure for modern manufacturing and technology applications. The former Republic Steel site now offers opportunities for high-tech development. “We’ve been working with Republic Steel. They were a steel producer in our community for several years and stopped production a few years ago, and we’ve been able to establish a relationship with them,” Mayor Bradley explains. “They are now reaching out to developers to bring in some high-tech development in our city.” The site’s advantages go further. “We’re not just looking at data centers, but we’re looking at maybe production of solar panels, chips because we have the advantage there of having access to our Black River. We also have rail access, and we have sufficient power that comes into that facility,” Mayor Bradley states. First Energy is conducting a comprehensive load study to determine electrical capacity, a process that will cost Republic Steel approximately $250,000 but could unlock significant development potential across the 460-acre property. Urban agriculture is another growth sector. Mayor Bradley describes plans that expand beyond traditional community gardens: “We’re also working on urban agriculture to have production of agricultural products in greenhouses, vertical farming, hydroponics.” A specialized group has expressed interest in developing commercial-scale 241 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09 LORAIN, OH
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