Joyce Marin, executive director of RenewLV, asked Catasauqua Council President Vincent Smith to present an overview of the borough’s Iron Works project at the organization’s group meeting Dec. 9, 2016.

RenewLV is a group of business and government leaders covering a range of projects that keep the Lehigh Valley moving forward using smart growth principles and promoting regional collaboration. The meeting featured a number of speakers.

Discussion topics at the meeting included reviving plans for passenger rail service to New York City, patronizing locally grown foodstuffs, bicycle and dine programs, affordable housing, farmland preservation and social entrepreneurship.

“We often look at the achievements we made in our larger cities, but the work of the boroughs and townships that surround our cities are an important aspect of growth in the Lehigh Valley,” Marin said while introducing a presentation on the Iron Works project.

Smith led the presentation, and Catasauqua Councilwoman Christine Weaver explained the workings of the council’s planning and zoning committee.

Smith and Weaver detailed some of the roadblocks and successes in getting the project to its present state.

“This was a 10-year battle to get this project to where we are today,” Smith said. “It will have an impact on the revitalization of the borough and our business district.”

The Iron Works site is a brownfield that lay fallow for years after the factories run by the Fuller Company were closed. FL Smidth, an international materials handling company based in the Netherlands, acquired the assets of the Fuller Company and relocated its manufacturing operations.

Tracing the history of the site beyond the Fuller Company, the location served the Crane Iron Company and is considered the kicking off point for the nation’s Industrial Revolution. A process developed in Wales to purify iron ore using anthracite coal was the catalyst for the company. Local railway companies sponsored the company to increase the market for anthracite coal.

Intertwined in this history are several unique accomplishments. From developing a proprietary style of horseshoes that minimized slipping on horse-drawn wagons to the iron shield castings for New York’s Holland Tunnel, the Crane Iron Company was an industrial powerhouse of its era. The company ceased operations in 1930.

The new direction is to develop a mixed-use site.

“We did not want the site to be all residential or all commercial,” Weaver said. “A mixed-use plan gave us the option to incentivize developers to come up with a solution that keeps the borough a stable and viable community.”

After the formal presentations, attendees broke out into work groups to discuss the ideas and projects presented by all the speakers. The group interested in focusing on Catasauqua’s project was the largest. Business and government leaders asked detailed questions on legal documents and the role the council played in convincing residents to back development.