Demolition of the Dico Superfund site is complete, preparing the site for redevelopment that will include a 6,300-seat multiuse stadium, a plaza and an eight-story hotel, the Iowa Soccer Development Foundation announced in a news release. Cleanup of the 43-acre site on the southwest edge of downtown began in June. The work included the removal of dilapidated buildings and debris from the site, which has remained unoccupied for 25 years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, former owner Titan International Inc., and Dico, a manufacturer that once operated at the site, reached an agreement in fall 2020 that included the payment of nearly $12 million in fines to the EPA and the donation of the land to the city of Des Moines. The city took possession of the property in May. Its portion of the cleanup cost is $923,000. The Iowa Soccer Development Foundation, in conjunction with the Krause Group, has proposed the construction of a soccer stadium at the site. The project was awarded $23.5 million from the Iowa Economic Development Authority in June as part of the Iowa Reinvestment Act program. According to a news release from the Iowa Soccer Development Foundation, a fundraising campaign is progressing toward its $25 million goal with recent donations from Wellmark Blue and Blue Shield ($250,000), Holmes Murphy and Associates ($250,000) and DMOS Orthopaedic Centers ($100,000.) So far, nearly $21 million has been raised. Photo: An aerial view of the Dico Superfund site. File photo by Duane Tinkey.