(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) has begun the process of removing one of three stacks at the Martin Drake Power Plant site.

According to the City, this milestone comes after weeks of careful planning and abatement work on the inside of each stack to protect the environment and surrounding neighborhoods.

Two stacks—structures that have been a permanent part of Colorado Springs’ skyline for decades—are scheduled to be completely leveled by the end of the March. The process to remove the stacks will be slow and methodical in order to minimize dust and noise, the City said.

Work began on the first stack the week of Jan. 22, and the City posted video of the meticulous process on its Facebook page, showing heavy machinery breaking down the walls of the first stack.

Demolition efforts began in summer 2023 and significant progress has been made since then, according to the City. Equipment and several structures have been removed, including the cooling towers; scrubber building; bag houses; a non-potable water tank; an ash silo; internal cables and wires; and all coal-handling equipment.

The City said work on the second stack will begin in February. The third stack attached to the old main Drake building will be removed later in 2024. Beyond the stacks, all structures connected to the Drake Power Plant are scheduled to be demolished by the end of 2024.

“Post demolition, the Drake site will play an important role in our energy transition efforts for years to come,” the City said. “The six natural gas generating units will remain onsite for the foreseeable future, while the substation located just south of the old plant will stay a permanent fixture. The continued presence of this critical infrastructure will help ensure electric grid reliability and best manage customer costs.”