From: Raincatcher's Delight
A Historic Location Modified for the Modern World
Construction of the Seaholm Power
Plant in Austin began in 1950. Austin Electric operated the interactive,
gas-fired, electrical power generation facility from 1951 until 1992. When fully
functional, the plant’s five turbines produced up to 120,000 kW of electricity.
The main (turbine-generator) building, which measures 110 feet by 235 feet, is a
fine example of modern civic, or art deco, architecture. Its clerestory windows
close to the 65-feet-high ceiling let in lots of light. With two floors below
ground level, this building has more than 110,000 square feet of usable floor
space.
When Seaholm was decommissioned,
local citizens were determined to preserve its buildings. They began campaigning
for Seaholm to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1996
the Austin City Council voted to preserve the buildings and site for future
public use. Council members knew that it would take some time to adapt such a
specialized site. The city commissioned a master plan for the projects, which
the ROMA Design Group completed in 2001. By 2005 the city had begun looking for
partners in a major joint venture to redevelop the building and site and to
create the project’s major features.
 |
Photo: All photos by Austin History
Center |
The Seaholm Power Plant (1951–1992) was redeveloped
in 2006, becoming the first facility to earn a TCSA "ready for reuse"
determination. |
In 2006 the city chose a
consortium of Southwest Strategies Group and other development firms to develop
the Seaholm site. These firms included engineering, design, power plant reuse,
and hotel-condominium development. But before any part of this impressive
project could begin, the former power plant had to be made safe for people to
use. Doing so was no easy task, because the site was teeming with hazardous
substances accumulated during years of use.
The three main contaminants
present were asbestos, lead-based paint, and polychlorinated biphenyls. All of
them are federally regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PCBs
(polychlorinated biphenyls), the most hazardous, are commonly found in older
power-generating facilities, because they were widely used on electrical
equipment. Seaholm’s concrete floors were saturated with oil that contained
PCBs.
The most common ways to eliminate
the polluted areas of Seaholm were not feasible. Removing the contaminated
concrete would have compromised the structural integrity of the main building.
Covering the floors with another layer of concrete would have exceeded their
load-bearing capacities. Tearing the plant down would have resulted in tons of
hazardous material and cost the city millions of dollars.
Austin Energy worked with experts
on hazardous substances to develop a new method of encapsulating the
contaminants with a fiber-reinforced epoxy coating. The new approach was so
effective that the building was judged safe enough to qualify for unrestricted
use.
In January 2006, the EPA and the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued a joint press release to
announce that Seaholm was the first facility in the nation to earn a TSCA “ready
for reuse” determination. The TCEQ also gave Seaholm its annual award for
innovative design project. The total cost of remediation was $13 million.
Besides a major civic activity
center, Seaholm will have service to and from a light rail station. Direct
access for the public to Town Lake (renamed Lady Bird Lake in July 2007, in
honor of the late Lady Bird Johnson) is an important component of the
development. Street and road improvements to connect the site with the downtown
area were also needed.
September-October 2008
From: Raincatcher's Delight
A Historic Location Modified for the Modern World
Construction of the Seaholm Power
Plant in Austin began in 1950. Austin Electric operated the interactive,
gas-fired, electrical power generation facility from 1951 until 1992. When fully
functional, the plant’s five turbines produced up to 120,000 kW of electricity.
The main (turbine-generator) building, which measures 110 feet by 235 feet, is a
fine example of modern civic, or art deco, architecture. Its clerestory windows
close to the 65-feet-high ceiling let in lots of light. With two floors below
ground level, this building has more than 110,000 square feet of usable floor
space.
When Seaholm was decommissioned,
local citizens were determined to preserve its buildings. They began campaigning
for Seaholm to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1996
the Austin City Council voted to preserve the buildings and site for future
public use. Council members knew that it would take some time to adapt such a
specialized site. The city commissioned a master plan for the projects, which
the ROMA Design Group completed in 2001. By 2005 the city had begun looking for
partners in a major joint venture to redevelop the building and site and to
create the project’s major features.
|
Photo: All photos by Austin History
Center |
The Seaholm Power Plant (1951–1992) was redeveloped
in 2006, becoming the first facility to earn a TCSA "ready for reuse"
determination. |
In 2006 the city chose a
consortium of Southwest Strategies Group and other development firms to develop
the Seaholm site. These firms included engineering, design, power plant reuse,
and hotel-condominium development. But before any part of this impressive
project could begin, the former power plant had to be made safe for people to
use. Doing so was no easy task, because the site was teeming with hazardous
substances accumulated during years of use.
The three main contaminants
present were asbestos, lead-based paint, and polychlorinated biphenyls. All of
them are federally regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PCBs
(polychlorinated biphenyls), the most hazardous, are commonly found in older
power-generating facilities, because they were widely used on electrical
equipment. Seaholm’s concrete floors were saturated with oil that contained
PCBs.
The most common ways to eliminate
the polluted areas of Seaholm were not feasible. Removing the contaminated
concrete would have compromised the structural integrity of the main building.
Covering the floors with another layer of concrete would have exceeded their
load-bearing capacities. Tearing the plant down would have resulted in tons of
hazardous material and cost the city millions of dollars.
Austin Energy worked with experts
on hazardous substances to develop a new method of encapsulating the
contaminants with a fiber-reinforced epoxy coating. The new approach was so
effective that the building was judged safe enough to qualify for unrestricted
use.
In January 2006, the EPA and the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued a joint press release to
announce that Seaholm was the first facility in the nation to earn a TSCA “ready
for reuse” determination. The TCEQ also gave Seaholm its annual award for
innovative design project. The total cost of remediation was $13 million.
Besides a major civic activity
center, Seaholm will have service to and from a light rail station. Direct
access for the public to Town Lake (renamed Lady Bird Lake in July 2007, in
honor of the late Lady Bird Johnson) is an important component of the
development. Street and road improvements to connect the site with the downtown
area were also needed.