AVON LAKE, Ohio — As demolition of the historic Avon Lake power plant continues, city leaders are alerting residents about the upcoming planned implosion of several large portions of the complex.
The city says it has been informed by the Avon Lake Environmental Redevelopment Group (ALERG), the owners of the plant, that two boilers and a precipitator will be imploded using "controlled explosives."
On Sunday, July 28, Avon Lake said ALERG notified the city that it plans to implode boiler buildings #9 and #10 "this week." The city did not give an exact date of the blast "for community safety and to prevent crowds from gathering."
“My challenge as mayor is to weigh the information we release while keeping the safety of our residents in mind. In an effort to eliminate crowds, for their own protection, our plan is to notify the community within a week of the implosion and send an alert 30 minutes prior to the implosion through the Alert Avon Lake emergency notification system," Avon Lake Mayor Mark Spaetzel said in a statement.
According to city officials, ALERG is collaborating with local authorities, including the Avon Lake Police and Fire Departments, Avon Lake Regional Water, Columbia Gas, FirstEnergy, and the Coast Guard, to ensure "a coordinated and safe event."
ALERG’s demolition experts have set a 1,200-foot exclusion zone, with an expanded area "cordoned off for additional safety."
In addition to notifying the public ahead of the implosion and sending out the alert 30 minutes beforehand, Avon Lake city leaders say they will be working to monitor air quality "before, during, and after the event." The city also says it will assist with the closure of Lake Road and the surrounding area during the implosion.
Residents who would like to receive Alert Avon Lake emergency notifications are encouraged to visit the city's website.
The city originally planned to demolish the precipitator #8 building, but that move is being postponed "due to concerns that the blast could damage a nearby smokestack," the city said.
In its report to the city last month, ALERG stated that implosions of two stacks and two boilers could take place as soon as this November. Planners have targeted June 30, 2025 as the date for "plant site remediation" to be complete, followed by a "site restoration complete" date of Aug. 31, 2025.
According to Cleveland Historical, the Avon Lake power plant was opened by Cleveland Electric Illuminating (CEI) in 1926 at the cost of $30 million. The plant closed in 2021, but community leaders are hoping to redevelop and revitalize the 40-acre site.
In 2022, ALERG hosted a public meeting showcasing their vision for the future of the property. Renderings done in tandem with commercial real estate firm Avison Young and architecture design firm Gensler showed plans to keep the plant's iconic stacks, while taking advantage of open space along the lakefront.
PHOTOS: Renderings of proposed redevelopment of Avon Lake power plant site
On Monday, more than 100 residents packed an Avon Lake City Council meeting to express their concerns over the planned implosion, demanding answers about chemicals resulting from the ensuing dust cloud along with possible dangers to wildlife and lake contamination. Legislators asked for a delay, but it remains unclear if that can even happen.
However, Spaetzel did say the 30-minute notification window will now be changed to the night prior, followed by a second notification a half-hour before the blast.