SWEPCO begins removal of historic Arsenal Hill chimney stacks

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) reported Monday, Sept. 12 that it has started the removal process of Shreveport’s historic Arsenal Hill chimney stacks.

This week, people may start to notice the construction going on, but the work began in August and will continue through the fall, according to the energy company.

“We did a recent inspection ... and during the inspection, we noticed the beginnings of deterioration, and we’re very proactive about the safety of the facilities that we have,” said Michelle Marcotte, a SWEPCO spokeswoman.

The first unit first started generating power in 1926 but has not been used since the 1970s.

“The Arsenal Hill chimneys have been a part of the downtown Shreveport skyline for nearly 100 years,” said President and Chief Operating Officer Malcolm Smoak. “While the chimneys are a part of Shreveport history, removing them will mitigate potential risks to our employees and our operations.”

There are two generation facilities that are still in that same vicinity - Arsenal Hill and Stall.

“We need to make sure that they are able to operate safely with the removal. Rather than imploding them, we contracted with ICC Commonwealth. They’re using a specialized jackhammer to safely remove the chimney stacks from the top to the bottom,” Marcotte said.

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