Stratford Army Engine Plant - OPPORTUNITY

Stratford has a tremendous opportunity to jump start its local economy and decide what face it will put on for the rest of the world with the now vacant Stratford Army Engine Plant on the auction block.

The opportunity is the reason why this is the inaugural post on SmartLandCT. The impact on the community, the environment, the economy, and a host of other factors must be pondered as this project - whatever form it may take - moves forward. Let's hope all parties involved make Smart Land choices for CT.

The property is being marketed as Point Stratford by Cushman & Wakefield is described as:

Point Stratford, formerly known as the Stratford Army Engine Plant in Stratford, Connecticut, is an extraordinary 78 acre redevelopment opportunity in Fairfield County. The Department of the Army and the General Services Administration are offering the brownfield property for sale on an “as is” basis, transferring all environmental remediation obligations to the buyer.Point Stratford offers developers and investors a rare opportunity to secure a large development site in Fairfield County, one of the most significant waterfront assets in Connecticut, within minutes of I-95.Currently improved with 1.72 million square feet, in three main buildings and nearly 50 outbuildings, Point Stratford is located within two miles of three exits of I-95, adjacent to Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Near the confluence of the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound, and offering direct access to both bodies of water, the site occupies 78 acres of uplands with riparian rights along its entire waterfront. Located in a designated Defense Plant Zone, the property is afforded Enterprise Zone benefits, entitling eligible businesses to substantial economic incentives.

There is apparently a lot of interest in this remarkable property from all over the world and a bidder's conference was held last November. Could Stratford become the true Hollywood East by converting this property into studio space? Could big manufacturing possibly start its comeback at this site, where over 10,000 people were once employed? The site is probably too contaminated for residential use, and the Steel Point project is only miles away in Bridgeport, so more mixed use office/retail/residential seems difficult to sustain. What else would work well here? Located less than two miles from Metro North, and less than 50 miles from NYC, the possibilities are great.