TransPORT & Caterpillar Move Ahead Toward Mapleton Redevelopment

The old Caterpillar foundry, opened in 1965 and a big job generator until it was replaced by a new foundry just to the west, has been gradually coming down.  The mammoth demolition will complete near the end of June, paving the way for Caterpillar’s conveyance of the 70 acre property to TransPORT and an anticipated bright future as a generator of new jobs and business activity.

The site is served directly by the TP&W Railroad and is situated only one-third mile from the Illinois Waterway, where TransPORT envisions construction of a modern barge terminal capable of handling cargoes ranging from liquid and dry bulk to containerized manufactured goods.  Meanwhile, the footprint of the massive foundry building “will be a virtual sea of flush concrete, ideal for marshalling commodities like grain, vehicles and even oversize wind farm components,” according to TransPORT Board Chairman Dan Silverthorn.  Located in the center of an expansive industrial corridor parallel to the Waterway, TransPORT’s Mapleton redevelopment is being marketed to potential manufacturing tenants as well as firms seeking a distribution hub for industrial goods.

“Caterpillar, Inc. has been an extraordinary partner for our Port District,” added Silverthorn.  “Their support for this project has been unwavering through the challenges of adaptively redeploying some very valuable real estate.  They know the value of attracting new investment and jobs to TransPORT’s six-county region.”