‘We’ll get it done’, Beatrice determined to demo Dempster Complex after EPA grant setback

BEATRICE, Neb. (KLKN) – Once a thriving steel mill that employed close to 400 people, the abandoned Dempster factory on Highway 77 in Beatrice is now an eyesore.

Behind the broken facade, the area is covered in bricks, burnt wood, and twisted metal but despite how it looks, Councilmember Ted Fairbanks says dangerous environmental hazards have already been addressed.

This clearance comes from years of work by a cleanup committee led by the councilman.

Fairbanks says the group is focused on transforming the site, but he hopes the community of Beatrice can have a bit of patience.

“We’re working on this. There’s a process to this. You can’t just simply wave your hand and have this go away. This takes years to do, but we’re getting it done, and we’re going to get it done,” he said.

The Dempster factory was first built in 1898 but closed in 2017 due to an aging industry.

The city purchased the grounds in late 2025, buying it through

In March 2025, a massive fire started by vandals, burned down its original brick structure.

During an exclusive tour of the facility, Fairbanks showed Channel 8 where the fire started on the loading dock, where it soon spread through the three-story, all-wood structure.

For the past five years, Fairbanks has made efforts to get the building, along with 7 other parcels (or plots), demolished.

The buildings cover about 8 acres on the 17-acre property.

Most recently, Fairbanks and his committee applied for the Brownfield grant from the Environmental Protection Agency but missed it by a touch.

“Very surprised, very disappointed. We missed a $4 million grant by one point,” said Fairbanks.

He says the 24-section assessment that the EPA used to determine their eligibility judged the city on how much they’ve already done to clean up hazardous materials.

So, they spent $200,000 tearing down an old carpentry building, removing asbestos from old windowpanes and clearing all remaining items and scrap metal from inside the structures.

Fairbanks says they will be reapplying for a Brownfield grant in September.

He says the only problem is that this time, it’ll be more competitive to obtain and they will only be allowed to apply for $2 million now.

However, the City of Beatrice has a plan to tear down three more buildings on the Dempsey property and is currently accepting bids to do so.

Fairbanks says if a bid is accepted, the contractor can take the scrap metal as a way to offset costs.

“The Brownfield was plan A, tearing these buildings down with our money was plan B. We have plan C, plan D and plan E,” said Fairbanks.

He adds that they have high hopes of turning the land into an urban park but are open to ideas from the community too.

The deadline to submit a bid is this Friday, and if one gets selected, Fairbanks says a public hearing should be held in October to determine what the land can be used for.

He says any ideas for the site can be submitted at any time on the City’s official website.