Island Station Power Plant
This is a picture of the oldest power plant in St. Paul, the Island Station Power Plant it is a short distance from the newest power plant which is close to where the High Bridge Plant used to be. The Island Station plant converted coal to electricity but became obsolete before it opened in 1923.
The High Bridge Plant, which replaced the station island plant is gone and I have been told that it will be a dog park but there is no dog park and no date has been given as to when this mythical park will open. It has become a kind of urban legend in these parts.
The Island Station power plant is apparently protected by one historic register or another. At one point it was going to be housing but that didn’t work out. It would make a great interpretive center about the power we need to electrify the city.
I once bought used boxes from a guy. They were stored in the Island Station Power Plant. I kid you not.
There was (is?) all kinds of stuff stored in Island Station. Back when people in houseboats were moored nearby, it was their off-season stuff. I toured the place when the developers to whom you referred were promoting the place. Big industrial building. They didn’t take us up the stack, but we did get up to the roof. Would have been a nice place to live, I think.
I have never been inside or even on the grounds. I let all those no trespassing signs influence me.
Island Station is a very cool place. Back when the sales center was in full swing, you could get tours of the building. Spooky fact. An older lady in her 80s went to tour the building (which had no elevators) she collapsed on the tour and was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
So if anyone ever tells you real estate doesn’t kill, you can tell them this story.
Sounds like one of those made up urban legends to me. 🙂