The city of Holyoke, Massachusetts continues to discuss possible reuses for the Mount Tom Station, the last coal-fired power plant in western Massachusetts.
A large scale redevelopment that could replace the jobs and property tax dollars lost when the plant closed last year is not realistic, according to the city’s director of planning and economic development Marcos Marrero.
He said the property is in a flood plain, is contaminated with coal ash, is home to some rare species, and access is limited by an active rail line.
" Those things inform and limit the types of uses that can be there or the magnitude of the use that can be there," he said.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is funding a $100,000 reuse study. The third in a series of community meetings was scheduled Thursday. A final report is expected by this fall.
