HOLLAND, Mich. — The demolition of the former James DeYoung power plant in Holland has begun.
The Holland Board of Public Works (BPW) says the move is part of a decommissioning procedure that began after the plant was shut down in 2017.
The coal plant opened in 1939 and was in operation for 78 years. It has since been replaced with the Holland Energy Park, which city officials say is more efficient and improves their environmental impact.
We’re told concepts are being explored for future uses of the site, among which, at one point, included repurposing the facility.
However, developers did not propose any plans that involved keeping the old building.
“With each day that passes, the structure ages, increasing risks,” says BPW General Manager Dave Koster. “So, demolishing the building is the prudent course of action for upholding safety, sustainability, and our commitment to the community to prepare the land for future use.”
BPW says the Michigan Department of Environmental, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) safely remediated the plant’s location over a three-year period until 2020. After the plant was shut down, BPW added a new substation on Pine Avenue to power the James DeYoung plant’s jurisdiction.
All hazardous materials – including asbestos and lead paint – were safely removed by April 2023, and the plant's demolition began in May.
The demolition project is slated to be finished by autumn.
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