Avison Young, Charah Solutions and Gensler are working with City leaders in Avon Lake, Ohio to decommission a coal-powered generating plant and deliver a transformative future development. A cornerstone of the project is the adaptive reuse of the coal plant’s historic turbine hall and plant buildings.
The project
The master plan for the 55-acre site is designed to revitalize the lakefront, connect the city to Lake Erie and catalyze growth for the next generation.
The process
Led by Richard Hanson and Dick Shields, the Avison Young team worked with the community to explore the possibilities for the redevelopment, and to develop a new master plan that made the most of the site’s historic buildings and natural waterfront setting. Ultimately, the comprehensive redevelopment strategy was so compelling that stakeholders decided to close the coal power plant in 2021, four years earlier than originally planned.
Key outcomes
The plant’s closure will:
- stop the release of 3 million tons of CO2 annually.
- improve respiratory health in the region by reducing particulate matter in the air. It will also end the release of mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other heavy metals.
- eliminate the facility’s daily demand for 365 million gallons of water for cooling. This will help to protect local aquatic habitats and related ecosystems as well as a local fishery.
The new development will attract investment and employment, create new public infrastructure to spur ongoing economic development, add new parks and community space, and grow the region’s tax base – all while making a powerful case for green building and development principles in the region.