The remnants of the former Alpha Portland Cement Co. plant may vanish from the county’s horizon as soon as early next year.

That’s when demolition work could begin on the site on Hog Run Road, funded from an almost $800,000 Clean Ohio Revitalization Grant.

“We just met with the owner on Wednesday and are in the process of going back and taking information and putting it together,” Matt Wagner, vice president of Keramida, said. “I would anticipate in the next month putting it out (to bid) and having an on site meeting for folks to go over the site and walk through regarding the bids.”

Keramida is the Indianapolis-based environmental consultant handling the restoration of the former industrial site.

Wagner said removing the cement plant structures could begin by the first of the year and it is expected to take up to six months to clean the 11-acre site.

The county was among 17 statewide recipients of the Clean Ohio grant in June that brought in $794,565 for the revitalization project.

“That is the grant amount,” Wagner said. “The county is teamed with developer Ice Creek Land Co. (The developer is) responsible with a 25 percent match. I’m confident we will go below budget.”

The majority of that match is to come through providing infrastructure improvements such as bringing sewer service and other utilities to the site, Wagner said.

Right now plans for the site are for Marietta Industrial Enterprise, a material handling company, to put in a satellite distribution warehouse. The 30,000-square-foot warehouse could bring in 10 to 15 jobs to the county.

Other development plans are in the preliminary stage, Wagner said.

“Folks can’t see past the concrete,” he said. “Once the landscape has changed that will open up that whole area.”