A significant obstacle has emerged for the proposal to establish an electric transformer facility at the site of Weirton’s former Cleveland Cliffs operation, as reported on Wednesday.
Cleveland Cliffs announced that they will no longer be deploying capital toward the development of the transformer production plant in Weirton after their first quarter report.
Reaction to this news is pouring in from representatives who were excited to see this area thrive and provide more jobs.
Senator Ryan Weld expresses his irritation because Cleveland Cliffs had stated back in August that they were going ahead regardless of whether they found a partner or not, but the situation has apparently changed since then.
I’m deeply disappointed with this information, though I can’t say it comes as a surprise. The legacy left by Cleveland-Cliffs includes an area filled with abandoned buildings, shuttered factories, and jobless individuals stretching all the way from the closing of the Follansbee Coke Plant several years ago to ending operations at Trivium Packaging just a few years past when they decided against renewing their lease in Weirton. This also encompasses the recent shutdown of the tin mill here too. That’s the kind of impact they’re leaving.
Senator Ryan Weld from the Republican Party of West Virginia
Cleveland Cliffs idled six facilities in the last few months.
Weld indicates that the current focus of inquiry revolves around whether they will address the properties, making them suitable for sale, and wonders if this process will actually take place in Weirton.
He adds that West Virginia officials are eager to market the real estate for Weirton and Follansbee due to their prime location for industrial development, but he hopes the city is not stuck due to what Weld calls a lack of effort on Cleveland Cliffs’ part.
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