State Representative Joe Gresko is welcoming a state investment in Stratford, with the State Bond Commission approving $2 million to help advance redevelopment of the former Stratford Army Engine Plant property.
The funding was approved during the Commission’s September 8 meeting as part of a package of investments benefiting Stratford. In his announcement, Gresko joined other members of the Stratford delegation in welcoming the funds. Read Representative Gresko’s announcement.
Gresko represents Stratford’s 121st House District and previously chaired the House Environment Committee. His legislative biography.
The approximately 80-acre former Army Engine Plant property has sat largely dormant for nearly three decades along the Housatonic River and Main Street, opposite Sikorsky Airport.
The newly approved $2 million will support plans for redevelopment of the former industrial property, including work associated with creating a mixed-use residential area and meeting flood-resiliency standards guided by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
According to Gresko’s announcement, buildings that have completed the required environmental abatement are being demolished, with complete site clearing anticipated by spring 2027. Potential uses under consideration include open space, a hotel or destination-oriented development, sports facilities, and high-end manufacturing. These remain possibilities rather than a finalized development plan.
Gresko described redevelopment as a step toward returning the property to Stratford’s tax rolls after decades of inactivity.
The property has a long industrial and environmental history. The facility operated as a U.S. Army manufacturing installation and was included in the Department of Defense’s 1995 Base Realignment and Closure process. Allied Signal ended operations in Stratford in September 1998, and environmental remediation has been part of efforts to prepare the site for reuse.
Gresko’s announcement also includes a photograph from the September 8 State Bond Commission meeting with Governor Ned Lamont, Mayor David Chess, Jim Cabrera, and Ted Lane. Funding, demolition, and site-history details in Gresko’s announcement.