At the end of its most recent session, the state legislature decided the fate – at least partially – of the abandoned, rusting, trash-burning power plant that has loomed over Hartford’s South Meadows for more than a century.
Lawmakers voted to formally transfer ownership of the former Materials Innovation Recycling Authority, or MIRA, plant to the Capital Region Development Authority, a quasi-public state agency that has overseen the redevelopment of other downtown projects and the management of two sports facilities, the XL Center and Rentschler Field.
During its final few decades as a waste-to-energy plant, the MIRA facility burned upwards of 700,000 tons of trash a year from residents in the Greater Hartford area and beyond. It officially closed in July 2022.
As of now, neither the city nor the state have firm plans for the site, which sits on 80 acres along the Connecticut River, but officials say several options exist.
