OSU to demolish Power Plant built in 1948

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | page.mindedahl@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University is closing the chapter on a significant piece of campus history as demolition begins on the university’s former Power Plant, constructed in 1948. 

After standing for more than 65 years, the facility is being removed to make way for future development.

Demolition is expected to be completed by the end of the summer, according to Jennifer Bennett, senior construction manager.

“Once cleared, the site will be sodded and maintained as green space until a final decision is made regarding its use. While OSU’s long-term campus master plan includes a new building on the site, a timeline has not yet been determined,” said Bennett.

The 1948 plant, located along Hall of Fame Avenue (called McGeorge Street when the plant was constructed), has been a quiet but vital presence on campus for decades, supplying energy to academic buildings, residence halls and facilities long before modern sustainability efforts began.

The plant was actually the fourth to be built on the OSU campus. The original plant built in 1898 did not last long before being replaced in 1901, and another in 1912 before funding was raised in the 1940s for it. The previous power plants had been close to the central part of campus, with the Classroom Building replacing the 1912 power plant after its demolition.

According to James Rosner, former director of Energy Services at OSU, the World War II-era equipment had exceeded its expected lifespan by more than 17 years when the plant fully shut down in 2018.

Central Plant replaced the 1948 Power Plant in 2018, just north of the site along Washington Street. The facility took over the responsibilities of heating and cooling the campus while supporting OSU’s broader energy efficiency and sustainability goals.