A major makeover is planned for the long-decommissioned site of a Norwalk power plant. Pending state and federal approvals, Manresa Island will be converted into a free, public park with unique features. Officials unveiled their final vision this month, which was inspired by input from the Norwalk community.
The conversion of Manresa Island into Manresa Wilds will be the largest privately-funded environmental cleanup in Connecticut history.
Jessica Vonashek is executive director of the Manresa Island Corp. She said that after years of coal-burning at the power plant, the site is in serious need of remediation.
“That’s often why we see sites like this around the country sit for so long, they have such high levels of contamination, and we don’t really have the ability to move the needle on that," she said. "Thanks to Austin and Allison McChord and their philanthropic gift, we have the ability to make a different story and a different outcome for Manresa Island.”
Austin McChord is the founder of the billion-dollar data backup company Datto. Vonashek said the idea from the project came from his and his wife's love of nature, and for their hometown.
"They tell a story where they were kayaking in Long Island Sound and had this informal conversation that was like, 'wow, this should really be a park, not single-family residential.' What a great opportunity for the public to access Long Island Sound from here," Vonashek said.
Plans include nearly two miles of shoreline access, trails through restored forest and coastal habitat, play areas for the kids and more.
The power plant building already on site will be turned into educational spaces, a community pool and pavilion. Vonashek says keeping the building up will reduce the project's carbon footprint by 75%. Plus, it is just really cool!
“You get to see the Manhattan skyline, you get the view of Norwalk Islands — you just realize that there really isn’t a building like this in Norwalk that you could do all these things in, and there probably never will be if all of this is taken down,” Vonashek said.
The goal is to open the first phase of the project to the public by spring 2027. That will be the 28-acre Northern Forest with plenty of nature trails to explore.
