Bruce Mansfield Playbook Project

Challenges

The Bruce Mansfield Power Plant (the “Site”) is a 477-acre industrial property composed of 12 parcels with direct railway, waterway and roadway access along the Ohio River in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. Previously a 2,490-MW coal-fired power plant, its owner, FirstEnergy Corporation, closed the Site in 2019.

Solutions

TRC was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Commerce and Economic Development (PA DCED) to develop a “Playbook” that offers a selection of decommissioning and redevelopment “Plays”, i.e., reuse strategies to aid industrial site selectors and the local economic development community in better understanding the redevelopment options, based on useful Site data and detailed market information. The Playbook’s goal was to facilitate future due diligence efforts by investors and interested parties regardless of their priorities and goals. Ultimately, this Playbook served as a single, organized source of information about the Site to stimulate discussion, creative thought and future considerations for site redevelopment.

TRC was retained by the PA DCED to prepare the Playbook. In collaboration with PA DCED and the Site owner, Energy Harbor, TRC and selected subcontractors conducted a comprehensive process of redevelopment planning for the Site, including a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, market analysis, redevelopment strategy options, cost estimating for demolition and “Pad-Ready” site preparation and recommendations for actions to move the process forward.

TRC’s subcontractor, Rockland Planning, interviewed local and regional stakeholders representing government officials, educators, manufacturing managers and developers regarding potential future uses of the Site and desired redevelopment outcomes. These stakeholders saw the value of redeveloping the Site and expressed optimism regarding the size and abilities of the area’s skilled workforce and building trades.

Considering this input from numerous stakeholders and relying upon data collected for the Playbook, TRC prepared three generalized strategic opportunities for Site reuse, which considered the physical site attributes and market drivers, and prioritized three areas: energy generation, industrial development and a high-energy consuming use. Each reuse strategy was further evaluated to develop reasonable options that respond to various market forces, thus providing a menu of “plays” designed to appeal to a range of differing investor/developer goals.

 

TRC concluded from the Playbook that the Site was best suited for reuse as one of the following:

• A large energy generation complex featuring either natural gas combustion or renewable energy;
• An industrial site that is tied to the natural gas, petrochemical-related, or sectors; or
• A high-energy consuming use such as a data center or advanced manufacturing facility.

This conclusion was based on projections of future petrochemical market growth, the Site’s river access with barge loading/unloading capabilities, available work force, and feedback from key stakeholders.

To successfully position the Site for redevelopment, TRC recommended a two-phase “pre-redevelopment” strategy. This two-phase approach can expedite redevelopment by administratively and physically preparing the Site for future redevelopment, while simultaneously creating a partnership with the Commonwealth, Beaver County, Energy Harbor and an invested and informed end user.

Results

In June 2022, the Frontier Group of Companies, a leading North American real estate and brownfield redevelopment company, purchased the Bruce Mansfield Site. They announced plans to decommission the plant and remediate environmental concerns to put the property back into the real estate market for future energy production, manufacturing or large industrial redevelopment.

Successful Redevelopment

The Playbook positioned the site for redevelopment, and plans for remediation are underway.