TRENTON, Mich. – Demolition on a century-old power plant is set to begin in the city of Trenton on Friday.
For decades, the Candy Canes, as some folks call them, have been part of the Trenton and Grosse Ile skyline.
The two smokestacks towering above DTE Energy’s Trenton Channel Power Plant will be demolished on Friday, March 16.
“A lot of people want to see it go,” said Lem Sherman.
The Trenton Channel Power Plant opened in 1924. It had six turbine generators and 13 coal-fired boilers. The site was retired in 2022. According to DTE, it’s now being demolished to make way for redevelopment.
“They couldn’t go green,” said Kim Redi. “You know, that’s what it was all about: the green gases. I want to see it; I’d like to see the towers go.”
Weather permitting, the demolition will occur in two phases. First, the stacks will come down. The boiler house demolition is expected to happen on May 17.
Neighbors said there’s speculation over what will go up in its place.
Chris Odeh said, “Our energy prices keep going up. DTE tearing it down, maybe they’re putting something in more modern to bring our prices back down.”
Friday’s demolition of the smokestacks is expected to begin at 7 a.m. while DTE anticipates limited inconvenience to residents, they said you may hear a short series of loud noises.
Those living near the site may feel mild vibrations during the demolition. DTE also said any dust from the project will dissipate within a few minutes.
Grosse Ile police have also been providing updates across social media. They said you can expect some temporary early-morning closures on Friday.
Among them, expect the Wayne County Bridge to be shut down. The Toll Bridge will be the only way on and off the island during that time. There will also be brief road closures on Grosse Ile Parkway, W. River, and West Jefferson Avenue.
The first of the closures will begin at 6:40 a.m. The closures could last up to two hours.
“I trust that they’ve really got this planned out well,” said Greg Manikowski.