Manresa Island, a former industrial power plant site in Connecticut, is transforming into a 125-acre thriving and accessible park. The park unlocks 1.75 miles of Norwalk’s waterfront access for the first time in nearly 75 years.
Located on the Long Island Sound in Southeast Connecticut, Manresa Island holds centuries of history and ecological significance. Since the 1800s, it has been home to farmland, a spiritual retreat center, and, for 60 years, a power plant that caused significant ecological concerns. The plant closed in 2013, and for over a decade, Manresa Island has been closed to the public. Today, the island has grown to over 125 acres due to industrial fill and is undergoing a natural resurgence, with a birch forest thriving on former coal ash deposits and ospreys nesting throughout the area. Wetland ecosystems have flourished, contributing to the island’s rich biodiversity.
The park on Manresa Island will now offer one of the few publicly accessible shorelines in the region. The design for the park, led by SCAPE, transforms the site into a healthy public space with water access, public swimming, playspace, recreational and ecological experiences, and a network of new walking paths. The plan incorporates remediation strategies that will revive Manresa’s coastal ecosystems and preserve its post-industrial landscapes. To ensure the site is as resilient as possible, the strategic design vision will include a program of living shorelines, adding tree canopy to combat extreme heat, and elevating portions of the site to mitigate increased flooding.
This one-of-a-kind park is advanced by the non-profit organization Manresa Island Corp. Beginning in early 2025, SCAPE and Manresa Island Corp. will guide a community engagement process to advance a design that prioritizes sustainability, resilience, and dynamic ecological design.
Projected to open in 2030 through phased development, this legacy park will serve as a hub for learning, exploration and community engagement.
Learn more:
Client
- Manresa Island Corp.
Collaborators
Bjarke Ingels Group
AKRF
eDesign Dynamics
Directional Logic
Tighe & Bond
HR&A
Virginia Hanusik
