SEH’s conceptual design for reusing the historic Lake Superior SOO Line ore dock in Ashland, Wisconsin was presented a Merit Award for Unbuilt Works by the Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (MASLA).

Several proposals for reusing the ore dock had surfaced in recent years, but none had proven viable. With dock owner Canadian National (CN) planning to demolish the iconic structure, the City of Ashland convinced CN to delay the project until the City could explore options for reuse. CN agreed but gave the City just one month to come up with alternatives. The City turned to SEH for assistance.

SEH’s challenge was to develop design ideas that would excite the community and offer financial benefits for CN in lieu of demolition. This required SEH’s multidisciplined team to synthesize 90 years of history, thousands of pages of reports and design documents, a community’s identity and heritage, and a private corporation’s financial realities into a neatly bundled design solution.

The two resulting concepts proposed different degrees of restoration and reuse of the 1,800-ft.-long, 60-ft.-wide, 75-ft.-tall structure. Both relied on restoration of the dock’s piling and decking to create a public space extending into the lake. Highlights of each included:

Ore Dock Energy Park - suggests restoration at each end with an open midsection.

Features:

• A wind farm to take advantage of Ashland’s steady wind
• Vendor kiosks for local producers of foods and crafts
• A perimeter trail connected to the City’s waterfront trail
• Opportunities for fishing
• A floating dock for small watercraft access and the ability to dock larger cruise ships
• A multi-use plaza connecting the dock with the lakeshore, the lakefront trail, and a restored railroad trestle extending the park’s presence into the adjacent neighborhood

Historic Ore Dock Park - suggests mixed uses to attract year-round visitors.

Features:

• A maritime chapel in the cathedral-like interior that could potentially become a premier Great Lakes wedding/event destination and that could also be used for music and theater performances
• An events center with dining and banquet space connected by an outdoor plaza to a lodge where guests could stay on the lake
• An interpretive center/museum highlighting Ashland’s industrial and maritime history
• A green roof, linear park, and observation deck atop the structure