“Project 19/61” Will Soon Bring Another Shovel-Ready Manufacturing Site to Red Wing

For more than a decade, a choice piece of real estate brimming with potential has sat vacant on the outskirts of Red Wing, MN. Following a month of demolition, the former site of Central Research Laboratories (CRL ) at the southeast corner of Highways 19 and 61 is a step closer to fulfilling that promise.

Red Wing Port Authority and the City of Red Wing have long strategized about how to give the former CRL plot, an iconic Red Wing manufacturer with roots dating back to 1945, a new lease on life, paving the way for new industries and economic growth. Following a detailed planning program, efforts are now in full swing to redevelop the CRL land into a shovel-ready site that can sustain and help grow a new company's operations. “Project 19/61” has the potential to deliver significant benefits to Red Wing’s community.

Central Research Laboratories: A Red Wing Icon

Central Research Laboratories was founded in Red Wing in 1945 by a handful of MIT graduates who had recently completed work for the U.S. War Department. Originally focused on engineering safe handling solutions for radioactive materials, CRL evolved into manufacturing advanced technologies for the worldwide biopharmaceutical, radiopharmaceutical, and nuclear industries. In 2025, CRL celebrated its 80th anniversary.

The CRL Site: History, Features & Challenges

The former CRL site at the junction of Highways 19 and 61 was built in 1961 and expanded in 1967 to 43,000 square feet. In 2007, CRL vacated the property, moving to a more modern space within Red Wing Industrial Park. Red Wing Port Authority purchased the one-story CRL building in 2007, receiving inquiries about turning the property into a winery, conference center, manufacturing facility, and gun range. Ultimately, none of those projects came to fruition. Eventually, semiconductor company OSEMI Inc. became a tenant at the site from 2007 to 2014.

But since 2014, the property has sat vacant, and CRL’s old building has grown more obsolete with each passing year. Over the last decade-plus, Red Wing Port Authority and the City of Red Wing (which purchased the land in 2014) have engaged in a series of actions – surveys, environmental assessments, appraisals and grant applications – geared toward preparing the site for shovel-ready status.

In November of 2025, the Red Wing City Council approved demolition of the former CRL building, calculating that flat, cleared ground would be more appealing to a future buyer. City staff estimated the demolition and environmental remediation cost at $232,000, with the potential for half of that to be refunded if development on the site begins promptly.

Progress Report: Project 19/61

In early May, the former CRL building had been leveled, and the land it occupied now a major step closer to shovel-readiness. Project 19/61 constitutes a major investment by the City of Red Wing and the Red Wing Port Authority. While clearing the site is a significant expenditure, the impact of a new tenant or buyer beginning operations will be far-reaching.

A firm in the light manufacturing sector would be ideal to occupy the 24-acre Highway 19 & 61 site. In addition to CRL, Red Wing has a robust track record in serving as home to companies in the industry, as evidenced by the long-standing presences of Red Wing Shoes, Riedell Skates, 3M, Koozie Group, and Hydrocontrol. Red Wing offers a unique combination of location advantages, workforce talent, and development opportunities that will assist new manufacturing companies to thrive.

For more information on Project 19/61, details about the available property, and all other inquiries, contact Red Wing Port Authority.