Bull Run powerhouse attracts buyer

By Garth Guibord

The Sandy Post, Feb 2, 2010

Garth Guibord / Sandy Post

The Bull Run powerhouse will be saved, thanks to an agreement forged between Portland General Electric and Powerhouse Re Gen.

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For years, the Bull Run powerhouse, built nearly 100 years ago to power a trolley for city residents to enjoy the countryside, was alive with electricity. But thanks to a decommissioning project by Portland General Electric that also saw the removal of Marmot and Little Sandy dams and the loss of Roslyn Lake, the powerhouse stands silent.

Now, an agreement between PGE and Powerhouse Re Gen could give life back to the building. Re Gen is set to acquire the building, pending necessary federal, local and regulatory approvals, and preserve it for future generations.

“Saving the powerhouse will preserve an important part of Oregon’s history, and provide an opportunity to educate the public about one of the most successful and largest dam removals in the nation,” said Julie Keil, PGE’s director of hydro licensing. “The decommissioning of the Bull Run project has helped restore a breathtaking river for fish, wildlife and Oregonians.”

“There is no other project like this,” said Re Gen partner Jeff Joslin, a planning and architectural consultant, and former land use manager for the city of Portland. “This is truly a unique site, a unique challenge, but also a unique opportunity.”

The deal includes approximately 100 acres around the powerhouse and the dry lakebed at the site of the former Roslyn Lake. Joslin reported the expectations are for the transfer to take place within six months.

No specific plans have been finalized, but Joslin said any plan will include interpretive activities and possibly a combination of recreational, scientific or academic activities.

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