LEE COUNTY, Iowa (KWQC) — President Trump stood in the Oval Office on Monday and announced a $15 billion steel plant in Lee County, calling it a done deal.
But the arrangement still needs to overcome major hurdles — including land acquisition, permits and financial incentives — before construction can start.
Backers say the plant would produce 10 million tons of steel a year by 2030, making Iowa the nation’s No. 2 steel producer.
Mesabi Metallics, the India-based company behind the plan, says it would create 5,000 to 6,000 construction jobs and 1,700 permanent Iowa jobs.
Lee County’s population is 32,000 people.
At the White House, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and Trump described a project that is already moving.
“No, I think this deal is done. This deal is done,” Lutnik said. “They’ve already worked it out. That’s why we’re all together with the president. The president doesn’t bring people together unless it’s a done deal. You guys know that already.”
“They’ve already started building,” Trump said.
That’s not true, according to TV6 Investigates’ review of Lee County land records. The review found no major property purchases tied to the project this year.
County officials say they don’t have details from the company about its plans. No permits have come before supervisors.
“Something of this scale, if it does end up landing in Lee County, chances are we’ll benefit from improvements to our infrastructure, utilities, roads,” said Ginger Knisley, chairman of the Lee County Board.
The financial side isn’t settled either. The Iowa Legislature will meet Friday in a special session to debate incentives for the company to build in Iowa.
Trump and lawmakers have not disclosed exactly where in Lee County the plant would go.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that the company and the state have a memorandum of understanding but that incentives are needed to advance the project, which she described as the largest economic development project in state history.
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