SHELBY – For almost 90 years, the Shelby Light Plant smokestack has stood tall as a pillar of the city’s skyline.
During a special Oct. 26 meeting, Shelby City Council voted 4-0 to construct an agreement with the Richland County Land Bank for the demolition of the aging structure.
First Ward councilmember Charlie Roub was unable to attend the meeting.
The right time to take action
“We knew we needed to do something with it, because it’s not being used anymore for electric production,” said Project Coordinator Joe Gies. “The mortar is starting to deteriorate.”
Director of Utilities John Ensman said since the light plant’s retirement in 2013, a variety of additional maintenance projects have occurred at the facility.
“There’s been many other demolition projects done on a smaller scale that didn’t make the notoriety this one has,” Ensman said. “But, there’s been quite a bit of equipment removed since 2013.”
Most notably, structures removed since 2013 include the turbine generators and cooling towers.
Ensman said several issues with the smokestack led to the decision to demolish, including its upper cap, mortar joints, age and other structural concerns.
Richland County Land Bank providing assistance
Conversations regarding demolition of the smokestack began a few years ago, Gies said, when the land bank visited the city and offered its assistance.
“This grant opportunity became available with them, so we jumped on it,” he said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to get this (demolition) done.”
The land bank applied for funding through the Ohio Department of Development Oct. 31, said Gies, who applauded the corporation’s swift efforts to make sure the project was included in their filing.
“Our land bank was right there, right away, getting everything in,” he said. “They (land bank) feel very good about being able to get (funding for) all the projects they applied for.”
Current estimates for the smokestack demolition are in the $500,000 range, Gies said — the city’s financial responsibility would cost $38,000.
Ensman said it’s a great opportunity for the city to complete the project, but it will be bittersweet to see the iconic structure demolished.
“It’s a huge financial benefit to the community,” he said. “It’s kind of bittersweet though, because that is a big part of the skyline since 1935.”
There’s currently no timetable for when demolition would begin, but Ensman said bidding specifications for the project have already been written by engineers.
“Environmental assessments have been taken on the breaching and the smokestack,” Ensman said. “There’s no hazardous material in any of those structures.”
Shelby Light Plant dates back to 1890’s
The smokestack was just one part of the Shelby Light Plant’s major expansion project, Ensman said, which began in 1932 and concluded in 1935.
Ensman referred to a story published in May 1935 in the Shelby Daily Globe, which highlighted the history of the light plant.
According to the article, an election was held during May of 1890 for voters to decide on a $15,000 bond issue needed to construct the light plant.
Approximately 65 percent of voters were in favor of the movement and by November of 1890, the plant was operational.
Today, Shelby residents receive their power from American Electric Power (AEP) and American Municipal Power (AMP), with substations located on State Street and George Hawk Road in the city.
Moving forward: Future plans for light plant buildings
About 50 percent of the city’s electric distribution still travels through the front of the Shelby Light Plant building at 34 Mansfield Ave.
The smaller building, located directly next to the light plant, continues to be used for maintenance and storage in the rear-portion of the structure, Ensman said.
Gies said the smokestack demolition may be the first phase in slowly vacating the municipal light plant building all together.
Switchgear equipment, along with a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), is still operational at the Mansfield Avenue plant.
Ensman said the SCADA system, pending Shelby City Council approval, will be upgraded next year and moved out to the line department, along with the switchgear equipment.
“Once these two pieces of equipment are moved, the building (municipal light plant) will then be officially unoccupied, if you will, with the operating equipment.”
As the spirit of revitalization continues to flow throughout downtown Shelby, Gies and Ensman both agreed the forthcoming smokestack demolition aligns with the landscape of change.
“We’re very grateful for the land bank to help us out,” Gies said. “We’re moving forward.”