In August 2016, construction work along one of Cedar Rapids' once busy industrial zones changed again. The area on the city's NE side was once home to heavy industrial manufacturing. As the local economy shifted throughout the last 30 years, buildings that once housed industrial machining were downsized or shuttered or demolished.
In this case, the work in August involved pulling up dormant rail lines that once serviced the industrial neighborhood. A bike way is planned as a replacement for the rail, which will connect other trails in the area to Coe College's new athletic complex.
A bit of rail iron still remains in the ground prior to the bike path's completion. Perhaps it serves as a reminder of what was once produced here. Now the rusting iron pieces are but part of an industrial-economical change debris, representing how cities, technologies, and market forces morph over time.
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