New Terminal At Bethlehem Steel Latest Step In Revitalization

DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) -- Fiat Chrysler meets Sparrows Point. A new auto terminal at the former location of Bethlehem Steel is the latest step in revitalizing Baltimore County's former industrial site.

Pat Warren reports the new owners made it official Wednesday.

The goal is to return 10,000 jobs to Sparrows Point -- and this will help to do it.

Bethlehem Steel's iconic blast furnace was the final goodbye to 125 years of steelworks at Sparrows Point. The star of Bethlehem is embedded in the logo of the new industry, Tradepoint Atlantic.

"We've knocked down 17 million square feet of buildings," said Michael Moore, president, Tradepoint Atlantic.

Sparrows Point will have new life as a global transportation and logistics center.

Where the former economic resource was production, Sparrows Point will now be a resource -- the property's land, rail and water access opens it to global use, first allowing the Port of Baltimore to expand its roll-on roll-off operations for imported automobiles. Pasha Automotive is leasing 21 acres for roll-on roll-off.

"Pasha's just sort of the tip of the iceberg. There's already a lot of folks working down here on reconstruction of the berth, of this facility behind us," said Will Anderson, Baltimore County economic director.

And more is coming.

"We think we're going to create in excess of 10,000 jobs for the region. We think we're going to create an enormous amount of investment in the region. At the end of ten years, we expect close to $1 billion to have been invested on our facility," said Anderson.

In ten years, you won't know the place. Generations of Baltimore families will, however, remember it.

Port-related uses have been central to the county's vision for maximizing the potential of Sparrows Point.