Many businesses in Delray closed during the late 2000s economic recession. In addition, around that time U.S. Steel had taken over nearby Zug Island. Many workers had been laid off during the recession. According to the 2000 census, 3,100 lived in Delray. John Carlisle (DetroitBloggerJohn) said in a 2009 article in the "Detroit Metro Times" that "a foul stench" was present in Delray due to the wastewater plant and the factories still operating. Due to EPA air pollution regulations, a number of air quality improvements have been made, but much of that was due to closings of antiquated facilities. Even so the transhipment industry grew which has comparatively little health impact, and a handful of warehouses near the Detroit Produce Terminal were converted into temperature-controlled storage facilities specifically for fruits such as bananas and pineapples.