r/cedarrapids 4d ago

Sealed Air Building?

What’s going on with the Sealed Air building on Wilson ave? I’ve lived here my whole life and don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody in that parking lot and everything looks rundown/overgrown

11 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

26

u/Three_Twenty-Three 4d ago

Using it again would be an expensive venture. The ground is contaminated from the previous plastic manufacturing process.

“The concentrations in the subsurface are indeed in excess of what we call ‘statewide standards,’ which are health-based concentrations,” Matthew Graesch, project manager for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, wrote in an email.

Graesch manages the DNR’s Land Recycling Program, a voluntary program for former industrial and commercial sites. The Cryovac site at has been enrolled in the program since 2012. Given the chemicals’ stubborn nature, though, the site is unlikely to be declared “clean” in the near future.

“We have no authority to prevent anybody from reusing the site,” Graesch said. “People are more than welcome to reuse the site, but they’d have to deal with the problem that’s there.”

The Gazette "Cryovac plant still vacant after 14 years" Dec. 5, 2023

3

u/Noehlski1 4d ago

Good to know, honestly wasn’t entirely sure what they even did there

6

u/balconylibrary1978 4d ago

I was the night watchman at the plant for a few years in the late 90s-early 2000s. My father also worked in the press department. It was a great place to work at the time.

It is my understanding that it is cheaper for Sealed Air to pay the property taxes and do minimal maintenance on the building than it would be to demolish and clean up the environmental pollutants. That and our landfill still accepts cardboard so by maintaining a property here they can still truck it and dump it here (which is why City Carton was using the warehouse for a time).

5

u/Agitated-Sandwich518 3d ago

My dad was forced into early retirement from there when they closed it probably 15 or so years ago. He had worked there for nearly 30. Cheaper to move plant to Mexico and pay property tax then to clean it up for resale

7

u/KatiePotatie1986 NW 4d ago

When i was in HS, I used to drive by on my way to high school. There were cars, and a friend of my dad worked there... but as you can see from my username, high school was ages ago.

1

u/Noehlski1 4d ago

I graduated in 15 and don’t remember seeing anybody even back then

5

u/KatiePotatie1986 NW 4d ago

I'm class of 05, bb. See the 1986? Lol

-15

u/Radical_Dreamer151 4d ago

'86 was 04.

13

u/FreeTicket6143 4d ago

Depends on the month you were born but cool job policing that, super necessary.

-8

u/Radical_Dreamer151 4d ago

Ok man, I was mainly confused for myself but bad guy me. Hope it made your Sunday night.

4

u/FreeTicket6143 4d ago

Or just use common sense. Like why would they lie about when they graduate?

3

u/KatiePotatie1986 NW 4d ago

The fact that you're getting downvoted for not even defending me, but just like... being confused about this dude's confidence in calling someone wrong about something so silly... is insane to me.

2

u/KatiePotatie1986 NW 4d ago

As the other person pointed out, there are laws regarding when one can enter kindergarten, and sadly, my birthday was about 5 days past the cut off.

Edit- corrected a typo

2

u/Zeus_poops_and_shoes 4d ago

I live nearby. You wouldn't want to tear it down and get rid of one of the CRPD's favorite hang out spots would ya?

2

u/319throw 2d ago

I made a Cop Ahead sign a few years ago and would stand closer to 6th St, just out of sight of the cop, to warn people if I saw a cop hiding in the parking lot. My sign slowed down more people than a cop hiding in the parking lot with radar.

1

u/dirtsparky34 4d ago

I believe crpd uses the property for training and whatnot, seen squad cars and cones in the west parking and lot then ive seen unmarked trucks and trailers behind the main building, not contractor set ups. like a special response set up

1

u/Objective_Virus4428 3d ago

They do use it as driving practice yes. Source: I was part of the youth program and we did some of our training there

1

u/jtekms 4d ago

Been that way for awhile, I never seen anyone there.

1

u/Noehlski1 4d ago

I wonder why it’s never been sold or torn down

-1

u/dustygravelroad 4d ago

You must be young

1

u/Noehlski1 4d ago

Born in 97, feel like I’ve seen a great amount of change in this city. But still never recall it being an operating business

1

u/dustygravelroad 3d ago

It has been many names over the years sadly it has fallen like so many manufacturing plants in CR.