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Martin Drake Power Plant Photo

Major demolition activities at the site of the Martin Drake Power Plant site are complete following nearly a century of electric generation in downtown Colorado Springs. 

For generations, Drake was a symbol of reliability thanks to the dedicated employees who worked there. Although the plant no longer stands, its legacy will live on as we transition to a new energy future. 


Demolition efforts began in the summer of 2023. From that time through July 2024, the project consisted of more than 83,000 hours of labor and the removal of approximately 8,700 gross tons of metal, filling 770 truckloads.  

The contractor handling the demolition took special steps to minimize dust, traffic, noise and protect air quality for the surrounding area.

The demolition project cost about $20 million – a price tag that would have grown without the offsets achieved by selling scrap material. 

The future of the site

The site is owned by the City of Colorado Springs and is currently held by Colorado Springs Utilities. The future use of this site will likely include a significant public process, but it’s also important to note potential use may be subject to a number of factors to include future environmental studies and resulting requirements set by the applicable environmental regulations.

On Feb. 22, 2023, the Downtown Partnership and the Legacy Institute presented a full report and executive summary to the Utilities Board to discuss plans for the future of the Drake site. Colorado Springs citizens are encouraged to review the documents, stay informed and provide feedback throughout the process.

The future of our electric system

To help manage future energy-related costs and adapt to a changing energy industry, we are pursuing several key initiatives:

  • Southwest Power Pool (SPP): We joined the SPP on Aug. 1, 2022, to help insulate customers from a volatile energy market. The SPP enhances the current and future reliability of the electric grid, and expands the ability to meet our clean energy goals.
  • Pike Solar Project: Completed in December 2023, the 175-megawatt project is the largest solar facility on our electric system.
  • Battery Storage: By 2025, we will add up to 100 megawatts of battery storage – the first of its kind on our electric system. Battery storage can increase grid resiliency and flexibility as new resources are added to our energy portfolio.
  • Expanding Energy Mix: After adding Pike Solar to the existing solar, wind and hydro resources, renewable energy is estimated to represent 27% of our energy portfolio.

Drake's history and legacy

All generation inside the Martin Drake Power Plant permanently shut down on Sept. 1, 2022. This marked the end of nearly a century of electric generation in downtown Colorado Springs. Drake provided reliable and cost-effective power for close to 100 years and enabled our city to grow and prosper in ways our early leaders could not have imagined. Thousands of employees and generations of workers (often members of the same family) have put their blood, sweat and tears into this staple of our community.

After only two years since the Utilities Board’s approval of our Sustainable Energy Plan and the decision to decommission Drake, we:

The decision to shutdown Drake was made with several factors in mind, to include environmental interests, changing needs of our system, the growing availability of renewable energy, the high maintenance costs of running aging coal-fired plants and the impact of anticipated regulation.

Courtesy of Colorado Springs Utitlities

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FireTruck

iiCON Construction collaborates with YOW Architects, PC, providing Falcon Fire Dept Protection District with new Administration Building addition. The project will consist of demolition, an interior remodel, and the new addition.

YOW Architects, PC has provided Design services in City of Colorado Springs for more than 40 years. Falcon Fire Dept Protection District is comprised of both career and volunteer firefighters, along with emergency medical responders.

As our City of Colorado Springs continues to grow, so do the needs of our firefighters and first responders. iiCON Construction is honored to work with YOW Architects, PC & Falcon Fire Dept Protection District on this very special project.

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Iicon staff at ribbon cutting

iiCON Construction was honored to be a part of the Old Depot Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on July 22nd. Mayor John Suthers spoke to the guests about the history of the Old Depot and just how much this renovation means to our community. Charles Ochs, owner, introduced the rest of the owners and thanked all involved in making this building everything that it is today.

Watch the full presentation here.

  • Iicon at ribbon cutting
  • iicon at ribbon cutting
  • iicon at ribbon cutting
  • speaker at ribbon cutting

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ABC Step Awards

Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 16, 2021—iiCON Construction today announced it has achieved Diamond in Associated Builders and Contractor’s STEP Safety Management System, meaning the company is 655% safer than the industry average. Founded more than three decades ago, STEP has evolved into a world-class safety program that dramatically improves safety performance among construction industry participants.

iiCON Construction is committed to continually raising the bar when it comes to safety performance and the total human health of their employees.  iiCON was awarded STEP Gold in 2019 and STEP Platinum in 2020.

STEP participants measure their safety processes and policies on key components through a detailed questionnaire with the goal of implementing or enhancing safety programs that reduce jobsite incidents. iiCON is dedicated to a top-down, bottom-up approach to safety, which is reflected in our STEP diamond status.

“Safety is a journey, and that journey is possible because of systems like STEP, which enables ABC member contractors like iiCON Construction to have a safer and more productive jobsite,´ said Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development. “Committing to total human health is essential to ensure both the physical and mental health and safety of our workforce, and I commend iiCON Construction for consistently fulfilling those commitments to raising the bar of safety performance.”

According to ABC’s annual Safety Performance Report, STEP participants, regardless of company size or type of work, can reduce recordable incidents up to 85%, making the best performing companies more than eight times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average. Ratings range from Diamond, the highest, to Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Participant.

To learn more about the STEP program, visit abcstep.org.

To learn more about iiCON Construction, Colorado LLC, visit iiconcc.com.

Great Teams Build Great Projects ®

Founded in 2014, iiCON Construction Colorado, LLC, is a commercial general contractor based in Colorado Springs, CO.  With more than 35 years of industry experience, they have completed more than $1 Billion in commercial construction projects ranging from government contracts to education. 

iiCON Construction Colorado, LLC Achieves World-Class Safety Standards Through Diamond ABC STEP Program

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Lamborn Visit

On June 8th, Congressmen Lamborn and his staff, as well as the Colorado Springs Airport staff and USFS joined the iiCON Team for a tour of the Colorado Springs Airtanker project. Congressman Lamborn was extremely appreciative of the efforts being made to bring their vision to a reality and looks forward to watching this project progress.

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PPRBD Group

On April 23rd, iiCON Construction celebrated a significant milestone on the progress of the new PPRBD Regional Satellite Facility. The Topping Out Ceremony commemorated the structural completion of the facility. The final steel beam, signed by our team members, PPRBD employees and a handful of the projects’ subcontractors, rose high in the sky as it was placed atop the new facility that will provide extended building services to our community for years to come.

But the beams weren’t the only thing to be carried to the top of the new facility. An American flag and a tree were also placed on top of the beam. This symbolic celebration has roots in Scandinavian culture and it lives on today in countries around the world. In this tradition, an evergreen tree is placed on the topmost beam, often with flags and streamers tied to it. Even the beam, painted white for team members and construction workers to sign, is a part of that tradition. The tree is usually kept on top of the building until completion, at which time the tree is planted on site as a reminder of all who were a part of bringing that building to life.

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Air Tanker Base Concept Drawing

iiCON Construction partners with the US Forest Service and the City of Colorado Springs to build a new Air Tanker Base at the Colorado Springs Airport. This will be the largest base in the region to include Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska.

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iicon at ground breaking

14,965 SF new construction office building. RBD partnered with iiCON as a design-build project to help maintain project costs and work through any design issues. This building will house the permit and plan reviewers as well as inspectors to help alleviate the need to go to the main building downtown with much of the construction happening north. They will also have a large conference room to host public hearings and meetings as required. The project scope includes establishing all utility tie-ins, curbs, gutters, roads, and landscaping of a 12-acre site since none are existing.

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EIC excellence award

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — iiCON Construction Colorado, LLC was recently awarded four Excellence in Construction (EIC) awards by Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), Rocky Mountain Chapter.  The EIC Awards have been honoring the most innovative and outstanding quality merit shop construction projects in Colorado for 19 years.  The 2020 EIC Awards were held virtually on Thursday, November 5, 2020. This local event was the first step to compete at the national level and are based on the overall scores of the judges, who are comprised of peers within the commercial construction industry.

Atlas Preparatory Elementary School, Colorado Springs, won the Award for Excellence in the category of Pre-Engineered Building: all contract amounts up to $100 million.  iiCON Construction Colorado, LLC provided CM/GC services for the Charter School’s newest facility, which houses an elementary school, a multi-purpose gymnasium (that serves high school, middle school and elementary school students), a middle school breezeway, athletic fields and the infrastructure for all of these projects.  The total project consisted of 37,072 square feet of new construction, utilizing a pre-engineered structure on a new 14-acre site.

St. Peter Chapel & Ministry Center, Monument, won the Award for Excellence in the category of Institutional: less than $5 million.  iiCON Construction Colorado, LLC renovated the original St. Peter Chapel that was constructed in the early 1900’s and brought it back from alternative uses to a sacred place once again.  Additionally, they constructed a new 12,000 square foot 2-story addition that is now the Ministry Center for the Parish which includes meeting rooms, kitchen for funeral and gathering events, offices, library and restrooms.

The Renovation of The Old Depot in Colorado Springs won both the Award for Merit in the category of Historical Restoration/Renovation: less than $25 million, as well as Design-Build Project of the Year.  iiCON Construction Colorado, LLC was selected as the Design-Build contractor for the Renovation of The Old Depot.  This historic building had been a train station built in the late 1800s, with various additions over the past 100 years.  Guiseppe’s Restaurant, a staple in Colorado Springs, was the last business to occupy the Old Depot – closing their doors in 2008.  In 2018, the owners worked with iiCON Construction and Galletta Architecture and developed a design to fill the 14,000 square foot space with three new restaurants, utilizing one main kitchen.

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iicon at atlas prep ground breaking

iiCON Construction is proud to have been part of Atlas Preparatory School’s groundbreaking ceremony on September 13th, 2019. The new elementary school, part of Harrison School District Two and located in Southeast Colorado Springs will serve grades Pre-K through 4th grade.

The ceremony included Atlas Prep’s Facilities Committee, FBT Architects and one of their very own future students.

Atlas Prep’s mission is to prepare and empower all students for success in their post-graduate paths through educational excellence, character development and community engagement.

Scheduled completion is scheduled to open in July 2020, serving up to 375 students.

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old deppot

After a year of design development, the drawings are completed. Bidding and awarding contracts is underway and we are ready to begin construction at the Depot! This space will be converted into 3 different restaurant areas each providing a unique dining experience. Keeping with the history of the building, the south end ceiling will stay open to wood trusses and get a polished concrete flooring, the main area will keep its’ rich history with the coffered ceiling, existing wood ticket both and red hexagon flooring while the north end will allow all visitors the chance to watch the passing trains. Construction should begin here shortly and be completed by December.

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image courtesy of PPCC

PPCC Studio West - the future arts center for downtown Colorado Springs. From the beginning of the interior work to the finished product. Here at iiCON Construction we always take on challenging projects with great teams building great projects. And for this project, the change will be monumental. The exterior will be a dramatic change - from an old mountain bike warehouse to an exceptional and inviting entry into a new arts facility. This will be the standout feature for the arts and theater events in downtown Colorado Springs.

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Celebrating placement of the last beam on the new giraffe enclosure at Cheyenne Mtn Zoo a tree and American Flag are hoisted to the top of the building.

iiCON Construction is proud to celebrate the topping out ceremony at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe. Placing the final beam is a special moment

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