Solaqua sits along the Stonykill (creek) on the site of the former century-old Columbia Box Board paper mill — an innovative manufacturer of recycled papers as early as the 1950s — that ceased operations in 1995. A sprawling complex of buildings covering several acres, the development of Solaqua will continue the tradition of innovative usage of the site through rehabilitation and reuse as a green building, food and energy center powered by renewable energy technologies for the 21st century.

The primary site is over one quarter mile long, containing over 100,000 square feet arrayed in nearly 1,000 feet of contiguous buildings, including three freestanding structures, on a 40-acre site. Four large, clear-span spaces, each of approximately 8500 square feet flank the central heavy industry portion of the mill and adjacent power plant building. Exterior features include a Class B non-navigable stream, historic dam and waterfall, mountain views and an active double-track freight railway. Another 180 acres surround the site, mostly to the west. The site is zoned “I” — Industrial and “C” — Commercial — for multiple permitted businesses dependent upon traffic flow, parking, sewage disposal, and availability of utilities