Community group working to save former power plant in Pueblo

The possibilities are endless for an old power plant near the Pueblo Riverwalk; just ask Adam Davidson and Gregory Howell.

“When I heard that this building was going to be demolished, I immediately thought, ‘Well, there’s something that I have to do about this,'” Davidson said.

Black Hills Energy is offering the city its former power plant, known as Black Hills Power Station 5 & 6. Pueblo City Council needs to let the utility company know by sometime in December if it wants the building, otherwise it will be demolished.

“I can see in the wellness side doing like a fabulous indoor rock climbing facility, restaurants, film production studios, art space,” Howell said.

The two-unit plant began construction in 1920 but it was delayed because of historic flooding; the last stage of construction was completed in 1949. The 18,300 square foot plant generated electricity for nine decades but stopped producing energy in 2011.

Howell believes the city should accept the shell of the building and take advantage of the industrial legacy that it contains. “This particular structure really embraces kind of a transition from that very ornate, shall we say the 1890s, industrial age architectural style into more of a modernist period,” he said.

Meanwhile, Davidson believes repurposing the plant would help to draw, and keep, a younger demographic in Pueblo.

“The 20 to 40 year old demographic in Pueblo goes mostly unaddressed if you’re referring to things like recreation and entertainment,” Davidson said.

But time is getting in the way of saving the plant. Bret Jones, senior external affairs manager for Black Hills, said City Council needs to let the company know in the coming weeks what it wants to do with the plant. Jones did not state an exact date. By virtue of its franchise agreement, the city has the first rights of refusal on the building.

Jones said it would cost Black Hills $3.5 million to remediate and transfer the building to the city. He added that a third party would have to pay $2 million to preserve the structure of the building.

Davidson and Howell want Black Hills to give them more time to find a developer.

“The clock is ticking but the building still stands,” Davidson said.

Black Hills energy officials will outline what options are available for repurposing the plant when they make a presentation to City Council during Monday night’s work session, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.

City Council is meeting with the public at 5 p.m. on Thursday in City Hall to discuss the plant.