Madison, Wisc. — Agrium Inc. officials must have breathed a sigh of relief last week with the official start of development of the old dilapidated Royster Clark fertilizer plant site here into a combination of single-family homes, multi-tenant apartment units, and retail shops and businesses. Groundbreaking for the $4 million project being undertaken by Ruedebusch Development & Construction was held Dec.15, and was hailed by Agrium as a “great day for the community around the former Royster-Clark site and the entire city of Madison.” Since acquiring the Royster-Clark business and closing down the Madison facility in 2006, Agrium has been beset with problems as the site fell in disrepair. In 2009 Habitat for Humanity was ready to take over, but that deal fell through. At one point the city was thinking about fining Agrium as much as $1,000 a day over the condition of the deteriorating site, but that never happened. In a statement, Agrium said the company had worked hard to find a buyer, but that never materialized. “Agrium commends the dedication of city leaders for pursuing the various options for the property and financing plans. We also thank Carl Ruedebusch and his business partners for their vision and investment. Most importantly, we thank the families who live and work nearby. They have shown a great deal of patience throughout this process and can celebrate the start of a new chapter for this property.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain