Developers said Black Hills won’t discuss repurposing old power plant

Two developers said they have $15 million available to redevelop an old power plant by downtown Pueblo, but they said Black Hills Energy won’t talk with them directly about selling the building.

Ryan McWilliams and Mark Mihelich have several ideas for repurposing Black Hills Power Stations 5 & 6, including turning it into a whiskey distillery, stores and restaurants, as well as classroom space for Pueblo Community College.

“That’s actually the whole idea is to bring some life into downtown — a little bit more so,” McWilliams said.

McWilliams is no stranger to breathing new life into old buildings. He’s turning the old Alpha Beta meatpacking plant into a hub for rail industry services.

Black Hills wouldn’t talk with KRDO NewsChannel 13 on camera, but spokeswoman Julie Rodriguez said the company’s lawyer is talking with the developers’ lawyers. Rodriguez said in the meantime, Black Hills is continuing with the demolition process.

“I think it’s easier for them because they’ve already started the process and if they just continue with the process that they’ve started, it’s much easier than doing the right thing,” McWilliams said.

As for getting help from the city, Council President Steve Nawrocki said the city has done all it can. Last week, the city invited Black Hills and Mihelich to a work session to discuss the future of the plant but Nawrocki, and other council members, said that the two parties needed to work together.

“Black Hills publicly said that they would entertain a legitimate offer and I don’t know what that amount of money would be,” Nawrocki said.

Black Hills wouldn’t tell KRDO NewsChannel 13 how much the building is assessed at, either.

The city placed a months-long moratorium on demolishing large buildings last year, but Nawrocki said the city would not do that again to save the building, adding it could give Black Hills a reason to sue the city.