AVON LAKE, Ohio — Thursday morning marked a milestone in Avon Lake. City leaders hailed the final implosion at the former power plant a success, but it wasn’t without its hiccups.
Crowds gathered early Thursday to witness a series of blasts and a large fireball topple five structures, including two towers, at the facility.
WATCH: Avon Lake power plant implodes
“Fantastic - I’ve been waiting for it for a long time,” one man told News 5.
Bill Keane added, “That’s why we all got up at 5 o’clock in the morning! If you saw that, that was pretty awesome.
Some spectators brought food and drinks for an “implosion tailgate.”
Others prepared differently for the event. Wednesday night, Melissa Clifford draped tarps over the shelves and products at Element LABS. The business owner was hoping to protect her merchandise from any dust or ceiling tiles that could shake loose during the blast.
“I was just trying to prepare for a ‘what if,’” she said.
Clifford and her husband returned home around 2 a.m. Thursday after a late night at the Lake Road shop. They slept through the implosion but were awoken by a police officer explaining the vibrations had shattered the windows at Element LABS.
“I was sitting in my car going, ‘I don’t even know what to do right now,’” Clifford recalled when she saw the damage.
She said someone from the Avon Lake Environmental Redevelopment Group (ALERG) and the mayor were both on scene shortly after she arrived. ALERG pledged to cover the costs of all repairs and any lost sales revenue.
Clifford said she was grateful for the quick response but acknowledged the damage was a disruption during the busiest time of year. She estimated that nearly 50% of sales for her homemade candles, baths, and self-care products come in December.
“From December 16th through December 22nd, we do massive amounts of business. It’s very busy, so this is kind of a bummer,” she said. “Financially, it will be a setback. But at the end of the day, I’m just looking around and going - my products, everything is pretty good. It’s some broken glass, but that’s going to get replaced.”
Thursday marked the final implosion at the power plant. A smaller blast over the summer demolished a boiler building on the property.
Neighbors had called for a pause in the demolition to more closely examine health and safety concerns.
RELATED: Avon Lake neighbors unsuccessful in calls for pause ahead of Wednesday power plant implosion
The EPA monitored the air quality in the area before, during, and after both implosions. The city said testing results from the previous implosion showed minimal risks to public health.
The demolition will make way for a major redevelopment project at the lakefront property. Plans include a new lakeside park and commercial or residential space.
RELATED: Avon Lake Power Plant demolition expected to finish in spring of 2025
“One of the things we’ve always heard from our residents, consistently, is greater access to the lake. This provides that opportunity for us,” Mayor Mark Spaetzel told News 5 Wednesday evening.
Clifford said she looks forward to new investment in the city but doesn’t anticipate her business benefitting from the project in the near future.
She planned to reopen the Lake Rd storefront on Friday and will continue to sell her products online, at BayArts and in the LCCC bookstore. By early Thursday afternoon, she said the community was already showing its support and making purchases.
“I think we have a great community of people who support us and I know we’ll persevere,” she said.
Avon Lake plans to maintain updates on the future of the former power plant HERE.
