The end has come; Demo of main AU plant begins, completion targeted for late June
Published 8:23 am Wednesday, February 28, 2018
- A pair of excavators go to work on the main building of the downtown Austin Utilities Plant Tuesday morning. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin Utilities held a short private ceremony Tuesday to commemorate the demolition of the main power plant building and turbine room on the Austin Municipal Plant, also known as the Downtown Power Plant site.
The site is being leveled to make way for a new community recreation center. The site demolition project is expected to be complete by the end of June.
“[We wanted] to do a little something ceremonial,” said AU Energy Resources and Utility Operations Director Alex Bumgardner prior to the start of demolition of the plant’s main building.
Austin Utilities Energy Resources and Utility Operations Director Alex Bumgardner talks about the history of the downtown plant.
Those attending heard an update on the project history and progress by Bumgardner as two excavators waited to begin work on the southwest corner of the structure. Immediately following the brief ceremony, Landwehr Construction Inc. made the first strike to the building.
Demolition of the property began on Jan. 8 by Landwehr Construction Inc, low bidder on the project. Workers have removed buildings known as the Fourth Avenue Garage, Lower Garage, Screenhouse, Lineman’s Garage, Storeroom, and Gas Service Garage.
The power plant and stacks are the last to be removed from the property. Additional work will need to be completed after the buildings are removed, including blacktop removal, utility relocations and soil preparation for the future recreation center.
As massive portion of the ceiling over the turbine room comes crashing down Tuesday morning as Landwehr crews begin demolition of the downtown plant.
Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“This is kind of the termination and the ending of an era in Austin,” Bumgardner said.
The Austin Municipal Plant was an Austin landmark for many years. Constructed on the 1888 site of the original municipal water plant, various additions were made to the plant through 1985. It provided the first electrification for street lighting in 1889 and, in its prime, provided 31 megawatts of power generation and steam to a district heating system for the community of Austin.
Bumgardner said that in 2008 and 2009 AU began taking a hard look at the plant and its future.
Part of the Austin Utilities downtown plant is pulled away.
“We had to make some tough decisions, tough calls at that point,” he said. “2017 — the project really become real.”
It was removed in 2018 due to outdated technology to make room for a community recreation center.
Bumgardner said they are targeting a late June completion on AU’s end.
“[We’re looking at a] completion date of June 30 for Austin Utilities to be done and off the site,” he said.
