Economic Impact Analysis

Manresa Association

Mission: The mission of the Manresa Association is to advocate and educate for a positive future use of the 125 acre Manresa Island property, working towards an outcome that is environmentally safe, has maximum open space for wildlife habitat and that adds to the physical beauty of Norwalk and the coastline of Long Island Sound.

History: The Manresa Association was formed in 2013, when the Manresa power plant owned by NRG was mothballed. The plant resides on the 125 acre Manresa property that borders Norwalk Harbor and Long Island Sound. The MA is made up of eight neighborhood associations and three clubs that represent over 900 Norwalk households. Environmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, CT Audubon Society, SoundWaters and the CT Fund for the Environment support the MA’s mission.

Primary Programs: The MA is focused on two areas: working with CT DEEP and the EPA to understand the contamination and remediation issues on the Manresa property, and working with the City of Norwalk in a public/private partnership on an Economic Impact Analysis of the 125 acre Manresa property.

Project Name & Cost: Name: Economic Impact Analysis of the 125 acre Manresa property. Cost: $150,000, with City of Norwalk and the MA each contributing $75,000.

Purpose: To develop metrics and expert advice on a range of potential uses for the property that will enable the City of Norwalk to make an informed decision on the best use of the property. The potential uses range from residential and mixed use development through parkland.

Potential Uses for the Property:

Property stays as is
Maximum development (build out) as per Norwalk P&Z regulations
Medium development, e.g. marina in barge canal, with mixed residential and commercial on immediately adjacent land, with balance as park/public open space
Removal of existing structures and creation of a national/state park
Alternate potential use (wildcard, out of the box potential use to be suggested by project team)

Fundraising Status: The Manresa Association has reached its $75,000 fundraising goal and has transferred this amount to the City of Norwalk, meeting its commitment to fund 50% of the Economic Impact Analysis.

Next Steps: The Steering Committee of the public/private partnership conducted a review process that led to the unanimous selection of Fitzgerald & Halliday to conduct the Economic Impact Analysis (EIA). The EIA is underway and will be completed by the end of 2017. F&H will conduct a series of public meetings to seek public input, provide updates and answer questions.

Documents/Presentations:

Economic Impact Analysis Presentation:

ManresaWorkshopPresentation-052217

Results of Online Survey and Public Workshop:

ManresaOutreachSummary-061917

Contact:
Charlie Taney
Manresa Association President.
ctaney3@gmail.com
203-536-5618