What is happening with the old Silver Lake power plant?
Dear Answer Man: With all the talk about turning old properties in and around downtown into something new — the old Kmart, the former Seneca Foods site — what's the status of the old power plant next to Silver Lake just north of downtown Rochester? Is there a long-term plan? Does it need environmental cleanup before it can be used for something else? — Developed Curiosity.
Dear Curious,
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the demise of the Silver Lake power plant is greatly exaggerated.
It's true that the power plant no longer generates electricity from coal as it did 11 years ago. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have uses.
But before we get to that, let's back up a bit. When the power plant was built in 1949, it was hardly considered to be part of downtown or even adjacent. Back then, downtown was smaller and while the power plant could likely be seen from downtown, it was probably multiple blocks away.
Now, what we consider to be downtown is creeping closer to the power plant, as are sites such as the former Kmart or the Seneca Foods site. Recently, someone asked me if the Seneca site would work for the proposed regional sports complex (it won't) because, as the reader indicated, it's basically right next door to downtown, connected by Soldiers Field Park.
Anyway, as downtown gets redeveloped, we must wonder if certain iconic landmarks might be ripe for the bulldozer, or at least a significant remodel.
Well, Bill Bullock, director of power resources for Rochester Public Utilities, said the plant still fulfills an energy function.
"There's a substation there, and we use it to meet the energy needs of downtown," Bullock said. "The plant also supplies steam to Mayo Clinic on a long-term contract, so it's still a critical part of the energy structure of RPU."
That contract with Mayo Clinic runs out in 2030, but Bullock said no one is talking about ending the arrangement anytime soon. The steam that's piped to Mayo Clinic is used for heating, laundry and sterilization. All those sound like important needs at Mayo.
Additionally, the power plant was added to the local historical preservation list, so any changes to the building — especially the outside — would require an extra level of approval.
When the plant stopped producing electricity from coal, the boilers were converted to natural gas — to produce that steam — and the yards where the coal was stored were cleaned up. At the same time, RPU de-permitted its discharge into Silver Lake, which used to stay ice-free near the plant, even in the dead of winter, because of the water used for cooling that was pumped into the lake.
All that's to say, no, no one is planning to remodel the building into the "Power Plant Condominiums" anytime soon. The plant converted to natural gas and still provides an energy-related service to a major customer.
So, that's the update. I guess we can revisit this in 2030.
