Planning Underway For Future Of Plant Site

Local leaders and stakeholders met Thursday afternoon to discuss what will become of the and the land it sits on

An alternative energy plant, marine terminal, cruise port or a mixed use of the site are all options currently on the table.

The meeting was the second of six meetings, part of a A public meeting will soon be announced to discuss use ideas among residents.

On Wednesday, Dominion announced the Salem  will

In a media release, officials from the Virginia-based company said units 1 and 2 will shut down by the end of 2011. Two additional units and the entire station will close by June 1, 2014.

Thursday, the city's made up of environmental activists, state and local leaders and urban planing and design firms highlighted the three potential uses of the 62.1 acre site. Among the options are: renovating and changing the use of the site, demolition and development, or alternative use of the site.

Plants such as the Bartow Power Plant in St. Petersburg, Fla. was exemplified as an antiquated plant that has been converted into a natural gas plant. 

With a gas line less than a mile off shore of the Salem Harbor Power Station, this option could be a viable option going forward, officials said.

Planners also pointed to a large entertainment and retail facility in Baltimore that once served as a plant. Closer to home, the Burlington Vermont Moran Power Plant is currently in the process of being converted into a sailing and rock climbing adventure center.

The plant in Baltimore took $125 million and 25 years to renovate, representatives said.

"We have two challenges here - time and money," Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "We have a short window for this project and we want to redevelop this site in a shorter time frame than 25 years."

More Research To Be Done

While still early in the planning stages, Driscoll asked the committee to come up with examples of similar sites elsewhere in the country under similar restrictions.

"Do we know what kind of regulations we are dealing with here?" Driscoll asked noting long standing regulations could play a big role in what the site becomes.

What is known is that the site falls under Chapter 91 which preserves at least part of future use for public water uses. Part of the planning process will be determining what types of water uses can be considered in the plan whether those be a marine terminal, shipping port or marina, planners said.

Committee members said the good news is because the plant has only been in existence since the 1950s, it is clear what materials are used and the contamination will likely not be that extensive. A cleanup was previously done on the site in the last decade as well.

Economic Impact

The plant paid the city $4.75 million last year in taxes making it the largest tax payer city-wide.

"We will get some assistance from the Green Communities Act of 2008," Rep. John Keenan said. "This will reimburse the city to bridge the gap."

The pending legislation extended to 2011 with a move to push it further to 2016, reimburses communities taking steps to lessen their dependence on fossil fuel and reduce their carbon footprint.

"This will give us breathing room and we won't be as impacted by loss of revenue," Driscoll said. "My worst fear is that the plant lay dormant for years."

The committee listed the following items as issues impacting the plan going forward: 

Harbor plan