Brace for Afternoon Implosion at Sparrows Point: Fire Officials

Those around Sparrows Point may hear a lot of noise Wednesday afternoon.

The L-furnace from the former steel mill will be demolished Wednesday afternoon, according to Baltimore County government.

“Expect a lot of loud noise and rumbling,” the Baltimore County Fire Department said in a phone notification to residents and businesses.

Demolition is slated for noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, officials said, and will clear the way for new businesses and port-related development.

The L-furnace is 320 feet high and is the most iconic structure at Sparrows Point, which used to house Bethlehem Steel, employer of tens of thousands of workers, according to The Baltimore Sun.

“Today marks an ending and also an important beginning for bringing new 21st-century jobs and new development back to the Point,” said Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz in a statement.

Envisioning Transportation, Industrial Hub

The Baltimore Business Journal reported in September that Redwood Capital purchased and planned to create an industrial campus on the 3,100-acre site at Sparrows Point, which housed the steel plant until it ceased operations in 2012.

“We are excited that Sparrows Point Terminal shares the County’s vision of a vibrant Sparrows Point peninsula offering tremendous business opportunities for companies looking for a prime location near the Port of Baltimore with interstate, rail and deepwater access,” Kemenetz said.

Plans are still being developed for the site, which cost $110 million, according to The Dundalk Eagle, which reported the demolition process would continue until November 2016. Environmental cleanup efforts are also in the works.

Several companies have expressed interest in the site, including FedEx, according to The Baltimore Sun, though officials have been hesitant to identify entities involved in preliminary negotiations.

Star Still Intact

The Star of Bethlehem, which was affixed to the L-furnace in 1978, has been removed, The Dundalk Eagle reported last fall, and it is being preserved to honor the site‘s history. Bethlehem Steel was the employer at the site until ownership changed hands in recent years.

“Shortly after the L-furnace was built, steelworkers welded the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ onto the furnace tower as a symbol of strength, pride and hope. Sparrows Point Terminal has preserved the Star to help all of us, and future generations, stay connected to these values,” Kamenetz said.

Photo Credit: Greg Stotler.