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Caught In Southie

When Boston-based developer Redgate acquired the 14-acre Exelon power plant property in South Boston last year, there were no guarantees that any portions of the Summer Street landmark would be retained as part of a major mixed-use redevelopment.

More than 30 residents attended the Edison Power Plant redevelopment workshop over the weekend that looked at what residents want to see in the 18-acre plan for the site. The meeting, jointly held by developers Redgate, Hilco Global and the Boston Planning and Development Agency, put residents into groups to work out what they’d like to see in the massive redevelopment, and the results were very consistent from group to group.

For decades, its twin smokestacks and blank beige walls have loomed above South Boston, but the glorious guts of the L Street Power Station have been hidden from view. Now you can get a peek inside. Redgate and Hilco Global, which paid $24.25 million last year for the shuttered plant, had an open house on Saturday, with another scheduled for Jan. 28, to gather community input on a redevelopment that is expected to include housing, retail, and open space.

At South Boston’s decommissioned Boston Edison power plant, a bust of the Roman god Mercury stands atop a soaring arched window. Inside, the window sheds light on a hall that spans several hundred feet, with bright-green tiles lining the walls and ceilings that reach close to 90 feet.