$1B vision is taking shape for Stratford's 77-acre waterfront site. Here's what's planned next
Originally published Yahoo News! via CT Post. Reporting By Andreas Yilma - Sat, October 10, 2026 at 3:00 AM PDT
Point Stratford Renewal developers are crafting a master plan for a $1 billion mixed-use redevelopment of the former Stratford Army Engine Plant site at 550 Main St. The plan is expected to be submitted in December.
STRATFORD - Developers planning a $1 billion redevelopment of Stratford's former Army Engine Plant expect to submit a master plan by December after unveiling the first comprehensive vision for transforming the 77-acre waterfront property into a mixed-use district with housing, parks, shops and public gathering spaces.
Point Stratford Renewal presented the concept during a Sept. 28 joint meeting of the Town Council, Traffic Authority, the Planning and Zoning Commissions and the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission for the brownfield at 550 Main St. The project team said it expects to spend the coming months refining the plan through additional public input before filing its development proposal.
Once fully built over the next 15 to 20 years, the public-private project is expected to exceed $1 billion in investment, create roughly 500 jobs and eventually generate more than $15 million annually in property tax revenue, said economic development consultant Mike Freimuth.
Officials said new development generating tax revenue is still likely two to three years away. Site preparation remains underway, with asbestos abatement complete and roughly 1.1 million square feet of former industrial buildings demolished. Crews are expected to finish most remaining demolition and flood-resiliency work by year's end, leaving the property ready for vertical construction by the end of 2027.
"This is a very creative, exciting undertaking for the town of Stratford," Freimuth said. "Over the next few months, we'll start sorting more of this out and putting it on the table for people to digest and react to."
Planners said the development would combine housing with restaurants, retail, hospitality, entertainment and public gathering spaces while also exploring opportunities for research and development, manufacturing, recreation and wellness.
Mayor David Chess said the development represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Stratford.
"I don't want (Point Stratford Renewal) thinking about this as just another project," Chess said. "I need them thinking about this as if it's their home and they are trying to create a place that they can be incredibly proud of, that they'll want to bring people to."
Project planners said community feedback has consistently emphasized that the redevelopment must do more than add housing. While residential development will provide the financial foundation for the project, they said the site also needs destinations that attract residents and visitors year-round.
"Great communities don't rely on a single use," said Elizabeth Stoel, a vice president with planning and design firm Corgan. "They thrive because many uses reinforce one another."
The preliminary concept also calls for reconnecting Stratford with its waterfront through a continuous greenway linking parks, wetlands and trails along the Housatonic River. Proposed amenities include overlooks, open space, bicycle connections and recreational areas for activities such as kayaking.
Restoring public access to the Housatonic River has become one of the project's defining goals, said Tatiana Choulika, a partner with landscape architecture firm Field Operations.
Developers said public feedback over the past year helped shape six guiding principles: improving waterfront access, creating an authentic Stratford identity, expanding recreational opportunities, honoring the site's manufacturing legacy, strengthening the local economy and investing in resilient infrastructure.
The redevelopment also builds on changes the town has already made to encourage redevelopment of the property.
Attorney William Hennessey said Stratford's 2023 Plan of Conservation and Development singled out the former Army Engine Plant as a redevelopment priority. The Planning and Zoning Commission later revised zoning regulations to allow a broader mix of uses through the special permit process while requiring permanent public waterfront access and high architectural standards.
Hennessey said the zoning changes came with conditions, including permanent public access along the waterfront and higher architectural standards for new buildings.
The former Army Engine Plant, which closed in the late 1990s, is the focus of one of Connecticut's largest waterfront brownfield redevelopment efforts. Developers say the goal is to transform the long-vacant brownfield into a resilient mixed-use neighborhood that reconnects Stratford to its waterfront while creating new places to live, work and gather.
This article originally published at $1B vision is taking shape for Stratford's 77-acre waterfront site. Here's what's planned next.
