Major cleanup phase complete at former Stratford Army Engine Plant, clearing way for next chapter
Originally published by CT Post. Reporting By Andreas Yilma,Staff Writer - Aug 29, 2026
STRATFORD — With a major phase of cleanup at the former Stratford Army Engine Plant now complete, developers are preparing to return to the public Sept. 2 with an update on plans to transform the long-vacant 77-acre waterfront property.
Point Stratford Renewal will hold its next community engagement meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Stratford High School, where the development team is expected to outline what it has heard from residents and how that feedback is shaping a master plan for the site.
The meeting comes less than a month after state, federal and local officials celebrated completion of remediation of the property's tidal flats — work that Point Stratford Renewal says was finished in 18 months for $74 million, compared with an original projection of four years and $135 million.
Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Mayor David Chess and environmental officials marked the milestone at the site earlier this month.
“This is a pivotal moment for this project, for Stratford and for Connecticut,” Chess said. “We have big plans for this site to become a destination offering opportunities to live, work, and play for generations to come.”
The tidal-flat remediation involved removing contaminated sediment and capping portions of the area. A temporary sheet-pile wall created a reservoir that allowed dredging to continue without being disrupted by changing tides, said Peter Cabrera, principal and executive vice president of Point Stratford Renewal.
Some of the material removed from the tidal flats is being reused on upland portions of the property as part of the site's coastal resiliency work.
“This remediation represents a major milestone in terms of the overall remediation project and brings us one step closer to reconnecting the community with the 4,180 linear feet of waterfront that has been inaccessible for nearly a century,” Cabrera said.
Cleanup of the property is continuing. Building demolition is expected to be completed by December, while coastal resiliency work is scheduled to continue through December 2027.
Point Stratford Renewal acquired the former federal property in 2024 after it had sat vacant for more than two decades. The site was once home to Sikorsky, Chance Vought Aircraft and Avco Lycoming and played a major role in Stratford's aviation and manufacturing history.
The developer says community input will remain central to the planning process. Since a town-wide meeting June 29, Point Stratford Renewal and town officials have held smaller meetings with residents in each of Stratford's 10 council districts.
More than 1,000 survey responses have also been collected, with recurring priorities including jobs and tax revenue, preservation of the site's aviation history and expanded public access to the waterfront through parks, trails and open space.
At the Sept. 2 meeting, the development team plans to recap that feedback, answer questions and give residents an opportunity to speak with project consultants.
Point Stratford Renewal expects to submit a general development master plan to the town in December.
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Aug 29, 2026
Andreas Yilma is a reporter with CT Insider covering development in Stratford, Bridgeport, Trumbull and Fairfield since 2025. He has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. Andreas is a New Haven native and previously was a Republican American and Citizen's News reporter covering part of the Naugatuck Valley.
