Anne Gentry, executive director of the Alpena Downtown Development Authority, floated an interesting possibility to News staff writer Steve Schulwitz when she said the city might want to consider closing the now-shuttered Decorative Panels International plant.

The plant along the shores of Thunder Bay closed in February, putting more than 150 people out of work and raising concerns about the effect on the regional economy. Economic development officials later said most of DPI’s workers found other work relatively quickly, raising hopes that we might escape the worst possibilities of the closure.

However, the closure still leaves a massive manufacturing facility sitting empty and dormant on a prime piece of property just outside downtown Alpena.

Gentry told Schulwitz the DDA board would discuss the future of the DPI property as part of the DDA’s long-term strategic planning process that kicks off this week.

“DPI has come up with some business owners and some of the DDA board,” Gentry told Schulwitz. “Think about it. That could become housing, mixed use, or a green space. There would be a lot of opportunities, and we should at least consider them.”

Gentry said the DDA likely lacks the wherewithal to purchase the property, but the city might be able to get it, or perhaps economic development firm Target Alpena.

The future of the DPI site is only a discussion at this point, and no one has even made a formal proposal.

We urge a careful, reasoned consideration of that possibility.

Certainly, we could see the benefits of a mixed-use development along the shores of Thunder Bay. Any housing built there would not only be highly desirable waterfront property but also would help alleviate the area’s housing shortage. Restaurants and retailers along the waterfront would be beautiful and a tourist draw.

But DPI offered scores of good-paying jobs, and we could also see the benefits of replacing DPI with another outfit that offers at least the same number of jobs at comparable pay.

It’s hard for retailers and restaurants to compete with manufacturers in that arena.

Officials have to consider other, more practical matters, too, including whether DPI’s operations caused any contamination at the site that would have to be remediated before any homes or businesses could go up there. Such remediation can get costly.

So we’re intrigued by the idea of the city or Target Alpena taking over the DPI property to spur some other kind of development there.

But we urge officials to move judiciously and cautiously and consider all of the options and the consequences of each option before taking any steps.