Following a century of industrial manufacturing activities and more than 20 years of underutilization, we worked as part of a public-private partnership to transform and revitalize 8 acres of unused and contaminated property located on Long Island Sound into a shorefront city park and prime waterfront commercial property, combining innovative remediation concepts with applied engineering techniques.
A key element to the project’s success was the public-private partnership formed among the City of Stamford; a private developer; and the site owner, a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. The remediation approach and site-civil design were tailored toward future use and redevelopment options.
The project addressed several significant ecological concerns including planting of native, locally grown wetlands grasses, installation of wetland soils, and creation of additional wetlands using engineered tidal channels. The wetland restoration program maximized the reuse potential of the property while creating a flourishing wetland with both recreational and wildlife opportunities that address growing concerns of diminished habitat on Long Island Sound.
REMEDIATING FOR REDEVELOPMENT
The property has been transformed into a beautiful city park with a portion reserved for a modern commercial waterfront development. This ecological haven is enjoyed daily by the public and also supports the local business economy. The successful remediation techniques, aesthetic features, and engineering controls utilized will serve as a model for future coastal brownfield redevelopment from engineering, remediation, and regulatory perspectives.
The new uses of the site helped our client offset remediation costs by nearly 50 percent and successfully transformed an environmental liability into a sustainable socioeconomic improvement. Project costs were also reduced by integrating the environmental remedy with the infrastructure of the new site use.
