Manresa Wilds, a previously shut-down power plant, has new plans for its future. Connecticut couple, Austin and Allison McChord, have recently bought the Manresa Island power plant from the global architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group to create the new park and community venue. 

Prior to the plant itself, Norwalk residents during the mid-twentieth century had originally protested the prospect of power companies using the island, which were left unheard by 1953 when the zoning was approved, and later when the plant was finished in 1960. In the year 1970 the plant switched to oil, leading to oil spills into the surrounding area, raising already mounting environmental concerns that would burn through the later decades. In 1980 the plant triggered the RCRA Corrective Process for hazardous waste management, and in 1990 the wetlands surrounding the plant were placed on critical concern lists. The Connecticut Coalition for Cleaner Air placed the plant on its list of the ‘filthy five’-- or a list of places within the state with the worst contaminated air. However, the plant’s closure due to the extensive damages caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 coincided with the resurgence of ospreys in the state–now the state has more than 1,000 osprey nests in comparison to the 10 prior to the resurgence. Alongside this return of the ospreys, the island has had further resurgence in ecological growth and environmental health.

The Manresa Island corps. mission with its project to inspire engagement with the waterfront and surrounding areas of the island with following its pillars: Make it magnetic–or attractive to the people and their culture–open the shoreline, build with purpose–uniting the landscape and architecture through sustainable and resilience–, and designing for discovery–to inspire people to learn about the area, connect with nature and people there, and fueling people’s curiosity.

The organizations plans to make the park into a variety of different spaces for their community to enjoy. The boiler building of the plant is to be turned into an indoor water park and climbing space, the turbine room into a community hall, the administrative building is set to become a place for overnight stays, and the smokestack of the plant will become an interactive part of the park as a landmark and a platform for art. In order for this all to happen the plant has to undergo a level of environmental remediation. Working with CT DEEP, the organization in charge of the project plans to approach and meet federal expectations for cleanup of the site–to limit contaminants, and revitalize the marshes in the surrounding area.

The park’s opening in 2030 will be the first time the island will be open for public access in over 75 years, aiming to be a model for what post-industrial sites are capable of becoming. Hopefully, this transformation will stand as an opportunistic example of how past buildings can be reused for more modern, sustainable purposes.