Work begins soon to demolish parts of the the massive Bethlehem Steel plants and replace it with a casino. The plant has been idle for years; there is no “going back” to the glory days of heavy industry, and the city is working hard to plan its future. However, I believe it is sad to see a symbol of America’s industrial greatness being repurposed as a casino.
It could be worse. In Dortmund, Germany, the Thyssen Krupp mills were disassembled and shipped to China. In Bethlehem, the site is being somewhat preserved as a historical landmark and essentially turned into part of a package, tourist destination.
From a purely economic perspective, if the demand exists for people to go blow their money in a Casino in Bethlehem and tour the old mills, then somebody must be doing something right. Unemployed former steelworkers don’t have the money to spend. So there must be new people with new jobs that support a new “industry.” But the social question is whether or not these are the same people. I don’t have time to research all the details, but I’m sure it’s a question that vexed local people and created a lot of tension over the project.