Once Made for Ore, Planning for So Much More

Site Reuse Design for a Former Railroad Ore Dock Trestle in Ashland, Wisconsin

Project Summary

Community: Ashland, Wisconsin
Technical Assistance: Site Design
Former Use: Ore Dock Trestle
Future Use: Commercial, Residential

The former Soo Line Ore Dock served the booming iron
ore trade in the Lake Superior region for half a century
and defined the shoreline of Ashland, Wisconsin. After
years of disuse, the superstructure was declared
unsafe, and most of the dock section was demolished
in 2013. A concept design in 2016 provided a plan to
convert the concrete base of the dock into an iconic city
park. Today, the Ashland Ore Dock Park is an attractive
and well-loved park. As a secondary phase, the City of
Ashland is looking to expand redevelopment efforts to
the upland portion of the dock on land.

The Community's Challenge

The City of Ashland has explored ideas to utilize the
upland area of the Soo Line Ore Dock for several years.
Once under the City's ownership, Ashland began
environmental assessment for the area where the rail
spurs once existed. The 2016 Concept Plan provided
some recommendations for the Upland Area, but
additional support is needed to understand the
economic development potential of this waterfront
property.

EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance

In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Land Revitalization Program provided contractor
technical assistance to develop a site reuse plan for the
Ore Dock Upland Area. The plan considers the Upland
Area as a gradient that moves from the waterfront
inland towards U.S. Route 2. The area closest to the
water with steeper slopes is retained as a climate
resiliency buffer to protect the shoreline integrity and
coastal ecosystem. The second area encompasses

most of the flat upland area of the Ore Dock with
stunning views of Lake Superior and is considered the
primary area for economic development. Closer to
Route 2 is envisioned as neighborhood infill along a
newly constructed Boulevard connecting the highway to
the waterfront. The proposed Boulevard acts as the
front door to the waterfront, leading visitors to the
Ashland Ore Dock Park. On the flat area, the plan
envisions an anchor development such as a hotel that
takes advantage of the waterfront views and leverages
the investment in the Ore Dock Park into a pedestrian-
centric zone.

With this plan in hand, the city can work through
environmental remediation with these goals in mind.

Rendering of the Proposed Hotel Site and New Residential
Uses Along the Boulevard.

For more information, contact Sarah Gruza, EPA
Region 5 Brownfields Program, at

aruza.sarah@epa.gov.

SEPA

United States	Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization

Environmental Protection

Agency	560-F-23-321

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