CONNECTICUT — Norwalk’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a special zoning framework for Manresa Wilds on October 21, moving the proposed transformation of a former waterfront power plant into a public park and gathering place another step forward, CT Mirror reported October 22.
The project covers a 125-acre peninsula overlooking Long Island Sound. Developers Austin and Allison McChord have committed $410 million, including environmental remediation, according to the report. Later development phases still require additional approvals and more detailed traffic studies.
Traffic, lighting and noise have been central neighborhood concerns. CT Mirror reports that the approved framework limits the frequency and size of events; the developers also dropped a hotel proposal. The vote is not permission to build every proposed feature immediately.
Manresa Island Corp.’s own project materials describe the first public phase as a 28-acre Northern Forest, targeted for spring 2027. Plans include 1.15 miles of trails, outdoor learning areas, restrooms, bicycle parking and an entrance off Longshore Avenue. These remain announced plans rather than an opened attraction.
The nonprofit says ecological restoration and soil remediation are part of that first phase. Its wider design retains former power-plant structures for proposed year-round uses while restoring coastal habitat.
The Northern Forest received approval separately before this week’s zoning decision. CT Mirror reports that renovation of the former turbine hall and administration building is targeted for 2032; that date is a development goal, not a guaranteed opening.
The archival photograph shows construction of the former power plant, as presented in Manresa Wilds’ historical timeline. The project’s history dates the plant’s construction to1960, but does not give an exact date for this photograph. It does not show current park construction or a completed redevelopment.