The now-closed Tonawanda Coke plant goes up for public auction Monday morning. Auction of the 135-acre site at 3875 River Rd. in the Town of Tonawanda, including some 850 feet of waterfront shoreline, was ordered by U.S. Bankruptcy Court and begins at 10 a.m.
Blackbird Asset Services is conducting the auction, which will occur at Bankruptcy Court, located at 2 Niagara Sq. in downtown Buffalo.
Tonawanda Coke operated a manufacturing facility at this location since 1978, but the property was used for coke manufacturing since 1917. Coke is a fuel made by heating coal at high temperatures in the absence of air.
The waterfront coke ovens were shuttered nearly a year ago following years of environmental complaints and court battles. Tonawanda Coke then declared bankruptcy, after being found guilty of violating the federal Clean Air Act and losing an appeal to stop the revocation of its air permits.
A previous auction of assorted scrap metal and material was held in July. That featured bulldozers, excavators, locomotives and other manufacturing vehicles.
