Montrose will receive a $3.3 million EPA Brownfields Cleanup grant to remediate the former Bullock Electric Steam Plant along the Uncompahgre River, with plans for future river access, trail connections, green space, and a possible indoor climbing gym.
The City of Montrose has been selected to receive a $3.3 million federal cleanup grant to help transform the former Bullock Electric Steam Plant from a long-vacant industrial site into a future community and riverfront asset.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Cleanup grant will support remediation of the former power plant property at 30 West South Fourth Street, along the Uncompahgre River corridor.
The grant totals $3,327,850. According to the city, it is the largest Brownfields Cleanup grant awarded to a Colorado community in 2026, and Montrose is one of 43 communities nationwide selected for the highly competitive funding.
“This is a major milestone for our community. Years of hard work, collaboration, and persistence have brought us to this moment,” Community Development Director Jace Hochwalt said. “To be chosen as one of only 43 communities across the country is a tremendous honor and reflects the importance of this project.”
The Bullock Electric Steam Plant was built as a steam electric facility and operated from 1953 to 1983, first as a coal-fired plant and later using natural gas.
The 5.54-acre site includes a four-story power generation building and a half-acre former cooling pond. It sits next to the Uncompahgre River and across from the Uncompahgre Riverway Trail.
Since the plant shut down in 1983, the building has deteriorated after decades of vacancy and exposure to the elements. The property has also drawn illegal dumping, vandalism, and unauthorized access.
The City of Montrose purchased the property in 2021 and has since secured the building, but the site has remained unused.
Environmental assessments found several cleanup challenges at the former power plant site.
An initial Phase I Environmental Site Assessment conducted in 1992 found that bottom ash and fly ash had been disposed of on site in the former cooling pond from 1950 to 1977. Later sampling found deposits covering much of the western half of the property, from the former cooling pond to the southern property boundary.
The city estimates those deposits total about 20,000 cubic yards.
Groundwater sampling did not show significant contaminant leaching into shallow groundwater, so groundwater remediation is not required.
The former power plant building itself remains heavily contaminated with asbestos and other hazardous materials that will require remediation. The city says it will work with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment during cleanup.
Another concern is the potential for contaminated soils or fly ash to run off into the Uncompahgre River, which could affect aquatic habitat and river recreation such as kayaking and paddleboarding.
The cleanup effort is part of a larger city strategy to restore and reconnect Montrose’s riverfront.
Since the 1970s, the city has acquired and guided redevelopment of downtown and riverfront properties with the goal of protecting natural resources while supporting appropriate reuse.
The Bullock Steam Plant project is tied to several adopted plans, including the Envision 2040 Comprehensive Plan and the Uncompahgre River Master Plan. Those plans prioritize cleanup of legacy industrial sites, river corridor restoration, improved trail connectivity, and local economic development.
The city began a community visioning process for the Bullock site in 2015. Ideas that emerged included a climbing gym, recreation hub, river access improvements, and public-private partnerships that could support new activity and sales tax generation.
Technical assistance from EPA’s Land Revitalization Technical Assistance program and Kansas State University’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields program helped the city evaluate cleanup, redevelopment, environmental, and community engagement options.
After environmental cleanup, the city plans to retain ownership of the property and redevelop it for a mix of public and private uses.
The former power plant building is expected to be adaptively reused as a multi-level indoor climbing gym. City officials say that concept could support year-round recreation, job creation, private reinvestment, and new activity along the river corridor.
Other planned site improvements could include:
The site’s proximity to Outdoor Range, a public school focused on hands-on and nature-based learning, could also create opportunities for educational programming.
Hochwalt said the grant reflects years of work by city staff, City Council members, consultants, agency partners, and community stakeholders.
“There have been a lot of conversations, a lot of coordination, and more than a few late nights spent putting together applications and laying the groundwork needed to get us to this point,” Hochwalt said. “This funding moves us closer to cleaning up a long-standing site and creating new opportunities for the future of our community.”
The City of Montrose says it will host future public meetings to gather additional community input as the project moves forward.
More information about the cleanup timeline, redevelopment planning, and public engagement opportunities will be released when available.
The former Bullock Electric Steam Plant has been vacant for more than 40 years, but a new $3.3 million EPA cleanup grant could move Montrose closer to turning the contaminated riverfront property into a recreation, education, and economic development site.
For Montrose residents, the project could eventually mean a cleaner Uncompahgre River corridor, better trail connections, new public access, and a major reuse of one of the city’s most visible industrial relics.
