Moran Municipal Generation Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moran Municipal Generation Station |
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Moran Municipal Generation Station from the Burlington Bike Path
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| Alternative names | Moran Plant |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Modern, mid-20th century brick industrial |
| Location | Burlington, Vermont |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 44°28′53″N 73°13′24″W / 44.48139°N 73.22333°W |
| Elevation | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Current tenants | Burlington Sailing |
| Construction started | July, 1952 |
| Completed | Summer, 1955 |
| Owner | City of Burlington, VT |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Floor area | 66,972 sq ft (6,221.9 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | J.F. Pritchard & Co. |
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Moran Municipal Generation Station
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| NRHP reference No. | 10001041 |
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 2010 |
The Moran Municipal Generation Station is a building in Burlington, Vermont. It was once a large power plant that made electricity for the city. It was built between 1952 and 1955.
This building is known for its interesting design and new ideas from its time. Today, it is no longer used as a power plant. The city plans to fix it up so people can use it all year round. The Moran Plant is located right on the Burlington waterfront. It is named after a former Burlington mayor, J.E. Moran.
The power plant stopped working in 1986. Since then, most of the building has been empty. However, a small part of the basement is used by the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center. In 1990, the City of Burlington took over ownership of the plant. Since 2010, the city has been working on plans to bring the building and its area back to life.
Contents
History of the Moran Plant
Why Burlington Needed a Power Plant
In 1948, Burlington had problems with not having enough electricity. The Burlington Electric Department, which provides power, said a new power plant was badly needed. Mayor Moran agreed with this idea and supported the plan.
Building the Power Plant
In 1951, the Burlington Electric Department and the city's water department bought the land for the plant. A company called Pierce Consulting Engineering Company was chosen to design the new plant. In November, people in Burlington voted to approve $4 million to build it.
Another company, Vermont Construction Company Inc., was chosen to build the plant. Work started in July 1952, but there were delays. A big steel strike in 1952 stopped work for six weeks. Vermont Construction Company also ran into money problems. Pierce Consulting's plans were too expensive and not very good. Both companies were replaced by J.F. Pritchard Company in January 1953.
The Moran Plant was fully finished in the summer of 1955. The machines that made electricity, like the turbine generators, cost over $1 million. They were sold and installed by companies like General Electric and Westinghouse.
Pollution Problems and Solutions
The Moran Plant, officially named the J. Edward Moran Municipal Generating Station in 1962, soon caused problems for people living nearby. Smoke from its tall smokestacks covered everything with a thick, black dust. Clothes hung outside to dry would get dirty again. Windows were covered in soot, and many people reported breathing problems.
The Burlington Electric Department tried to make changes to reduce the pollution. Things got a little better, but problems continued through the 1960s and 1970s.
The Moran Plant was important during the Northeast blackout of 1965. It acted as a backup power source and helped keep the city lit up when other power went out.
Changes to Fuel Sources
The 1970s energy crisis made the Burlington Electric Department look for new ways to power the plant. In 1977, workers tried something new. They changed one of the plant's units to burn wood chips mixed with heating oil instead of just coal. Wood chips were much cheaper than coal.
This change cost $25,000 and took four months to complete. They even reused old pipes and parts from other machines. This new way of burning fuel got attention from around the world. A second unit was also changed to burn wood chips in 1979. In 1983, the Moran plant used over 100,000 tons of wood chips, along with natural gas and fuel oil.
By the 1970s, the Moran Plant was providing most of Burlington's power. Its three old units, built in the 1950s, struggled to keep up with the city's growing need for electricity. Because the plant was getting old and its pollution controls were outdated, the Burlington Electric Department looked for new ways to provide power.
The Moran Plant stopped operating in 1986. A new plant, the McNeil Generating Station, replaced it. The McNeil plant also burns wood chips and is located elsewhere in Burlington. When the Moran Plant closed, its boilers, coal conveyor, and smokestacks were removed. Inside, the turbines and other equipment were also taken out.
Since then, the building has been mostly empty. Only a small part of the basement is used by the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center to store boats. In 2010, the city started big plans to fix up the plant and the area around it for different community uses.
Plans for Redevelopment
The City of Burlington has clear goals for fixing up the Moran Plant:
- Keep the building owned and controlled by the public.
- Make sure people can use it all year round.
- Connect it to the Waterfront Park.
- Avoid causing too much traffic or parking problems.
- Keep the Lake Champlain Sailing Center there.
- Create chances for new public and private partnerships.
- Use the existing building structure if it saves money.
- Keep historical parts of the North Tower inside if possible.
- Make money to help pay for running and maintaining the building.
- Keep building costs reasonable.
- Use the best methods for saving energy and building green.
On March 4, 2008, people in Burlington voted to approve a $21 million plan to renovate the Moran Plant. The vote passed by a lot. Mayor Bob Kiss wanted to turn the Moran Plant into a sailing center, a children's museum, and a place for ice climbing. Some people wanted to tear the old power plant down and make a park instead. However, that idea was voted down.
In September 2009, the Vermont legislature approved a way for Burlington to get money for improvements. This allowed Burlington to borrow money for building upgrades. The money would be paid back using future tax revenues from the waterfront area.
Building Features
Outside the Plant
The Moran Plant has an exterior made of two main parts. One part is a strong brick wall that supports the building. It has concrete blocks with a row of bricks every two rows. The other part is a brick covering over the main structure. Some bricks have come loose or are peeling. The tall northern part of the Moran building stands out because of its height. It also has the remains of a huge steel structure on the outside, which used to hold the boiler.
Inside the Plant
Inside the Moran Plant, you can see the steel frame that supports the building. This frame connects to the brick walls on the outside. Many of the original surfaces inside have been damaged. There is a lot of missing material, broken parts, and graffiti.
The basement used to be partly flooded until 2010. It had a lot of old industrial trash and polluted items underwater. Even though the big turbine machines were removed in 1986, their huge concrete bases were left behind. Three large coal hoppers and parts of other industrial equipment were also left. This includes the coal conveyor on the upper level and large copper coils on the second level. Throughout the building, you can still see parts of steel stairs and walkways that connected different areas.
Why the Moran Plant is Important
The Moran Municipal Generation Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to this list on December 17, 2010. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. It is important because it played a big role in history and shows a special way of building.
This mid-century power plant was the only one of its kind built in Vermont. It became famous around the world for using and changing existing technologies in new ways. The design for the Moran Plant was even shown in a magazine called Architectural Record. Its design might have been inspired by another power plant built in 1950 in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center
The Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center is a non-profit group. It works around the Moran Plant. This center offers classes and fun activities related to boating and sailing.
