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SITE HISTORY

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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History Highlights

  • The plant was the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company’s economic stimulus plan for helping northeast Ohio emerge from the “General Depression” of the 1930s. 
  • The electricity generation plant at Ashtabula was built in 1929-1930 to complement CEI plants near Cleveland and Avon.
  • Cost $11,000,000 to build in 1929-1930
  • The first generating unit of the new plant was placed in operation Nov. 5, 1930.
  • The rotary railroad car dumper could unload 20 cars an hour.
  • Each boiler consumed 2,000 tons of coal each day
  • Each stack served two boilers and rose more than 300 feet above the lake level.​
  • A 244-megawatt unit put into service in 1958 was the last one functioning​

From Power Generation to Industrial Opportunity

For more than 80 years, the Ashtabula Power Station helped fuel economic growth across Northeast Ohio. Today, Frontier Group of Companies is transforming the former power plant into Ashtabula Industrial Park—a 137-acre industrial redevelopment site positioned to support the next generation of manufacturing, logistics, energy, and technology investment along the Lake Erie shoreline.

Timeline

AIP Timeline

1929
1929
Project Construction

Construction of the $11,000,000 Ashtabula Power Plant.

1931
1931
First Units Operational
  • The first two 46 MW units put into operation in 1930.
  • Generating generating unit enters service, providing reliable power to Northeast Ohio’s rapidly expanding industrial economy.
1958
1958
Final Unit Constructed

Final units constructed totaling nearly 450 MW power output.

1980
1980
First Unit Retired

Cleveland Electric Illuminating retires oldest of the 5 units (46 MW).

2015
2015
Final Plant Closure

 

  • Following more than 80 years of operation, the final generating unit is retired, marking the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the property.
  • Cleveland Electric Illuminating officially shut down plant on April 15th 2015, after it operating for less than 1,000 hours since September 2014.
2022
2022
Site Acquisition and Vision
  • Frontier Group of Companies acquires the former Ashtabula Power Station and begins evaluating opportunities to transform the retired power generation facility into a modern industrial redevelopment project. Initial efforts focus on environmental review, infrastructure assessment, market analysis, and long-term planning to reposition the site for future economic development.
  • The property is positioned as a multi-use industrial development site designed to support manufacturing, logistics, energy, technology, and maritime industries.

 

2023
2023
Site Evaluation and Market Analysis
  • Comprehensive engineering, environmental, utility, and market assessments are completed to identify the highest and best uses for the property.
2024
2024
Demolition and Site Preparation
  • Demolition planning, environmental activities, permitting, and site preparation efforts commence.
  • Key redevelopment objectives are established to create a development-ready industrial park capable of supporting manufacturing, logistics, maritime, energy, technology, and other industrial users.
2024
Master Planning
Master Planning

Master planning, prospecting, community, local, state, and federal engagement, site visits.

2025
2025
Active Demolition and Infrastructure Preparation
  • Major demolition activities continue across the former power station while strategic infrastructure assets are preserved to support future industrial development.
  • Site grading, environmental remediation, utility evaluations, and redevelopment preparations advance the transformation of the property from a retired generating station into a market-ready industrial site.
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