Manresa Wilds proposal seeks special district to remake former power-plant site into 125-acre park; hearing continued

Developers of Manresa Wilds told the Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission on June 24 that they seek a zoning map amendment, text changes and a special permit to transform the former Manresa power plant into a privately funded, publicly accessible park.

Austin McCord, the project co-owner, said Manresa Osprey LLC and the nonprofit Manresa Island Corp propose a “special district Manresa Wilds” to guide short- and long-term work on roughly 120–125 acres of waterfront property on Longshore Avenue. “Allison and I have publicly committed to at least $410 million associated with that cleanup,” McCord said. He added the team has spent about $50 million so far.

The application combines three requests: a map amendment to create the SDMW special district, text amendments to incorporate the new zone into the zoning code, and a special-permit application for a development-park master plan that will frame uses, heights, and safeguards. Counsel for the applicants explained the statutory standards the commission will apply under the city’s zoning regulations and referenced sections cited in the application.

Why it matters: proponents say the proposal would provide up to about 120 acres of new publicly accessible open space and nearly two miles of waterfront access, plus adaptive reuse of the plant’s turbine and boiler buildings for education, research and events. The project team—designers, ecologists and traffic consultants—told commissioners the plan emphasizes ecological restoration, public access and a phased approach to construction and operations.

What the applicant proposed: project leaders described a table of uses tailored to the waterfront site, including passive and active recreation, research and marine uses, limited food-and-beverage operations, event spaces and education programs. The team said the power-plant complex would be adaptively reused, keeping the smoke stack as a landmark, and that the north forest phase is already permitted and under construction.

Phasing and schedule: presenters described four phases. Phase 1 (the Northern Forest, about 28 acres) is under construction with an anticipated opening in summer 2027; phase 2 (the core park and adaptive reuse) was presented with a target public opening around 2032; phase 3 (water access and active play areas) depends on a DOT easement and was estimated for the 2033–35 window; and phase 4 (full boiler-building reuse and large institutional programming) is a later phase that will be refined after earlier phases are implemented.

Commissioners’ concerns: much of the hearing focused on traffic, access and operational funding. Traffic consultants (AKRF) summarized a visitation model developed with Orca consultants that produced a wide range of annual visitation estimates—the team said full buildout could generate on the order of hundreds of thousands of annual visitors. For planning purposes, the team presented a conservative modal split (95% auto) to test intersections; that produced peak-hour vehicle trip estimates (for example, roughly 586 vehicle trips during a peak summer hour in one scenario) and flagged several intersections where signal timing or signalization changes could be needed.

Operations and governance: Manresa Island Corp (a nonprofit) said it intends to operate and maintain the park and that revenues from rentals, concessions and fees would supplement, but not replace, philanthropic support and an endowment the applicants plan to seed. “The revenue generation delta is maybe 10 to 15% of the total budget,” said a team member; the applicants said an endowment will be required for long-term operation.

Next steps: commissioners and staff asked for additional traffic analysis, construction logistics details, clarified use limitations (for example, size or permit triggers for amphitheaters), and a clearer tabular presentation of permitted, permitted-with-limitations and special-permit uses. After applicant answers and staff peer review, the commission will resume the hearing. The commission moved and voted to continue the public hearing to July 15, 2026; staff said written comments already received will be posted online and the city’s traffic staff and peer review consultants will be present at the next session.

Quotes: “Manresa Wilds is funded entirely through private donations,” Austin McCord said. “This project is a chance to allow this land to find its most productive use.” Jess Beseek, executive director of Manresa Island Corp, said the team has engaged the community for more than a year and incorporated thousands of pieces of feedback into the master plan.

The hearing was continued to the commission’s July 15 meeting, with staff and the applicant scheduled to provide additional traffic, phasing and use-limitation details.