Manresa Island Power Plant Redevelopment Eyed as Model

Decommissioned facility could be transformed into community asset, say local residents.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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A decommissioned power plant on Manresa Island in Norwalk, Connecticut has drawn the interest of local residents Austin and Allison McChord, who see the site as having potential to be redeveloped into a community asset, rather than being viewed negatively as an abandoned industrial facility.

Why it matters

As more power plants across the country are being decommissioned, the Manresa Island project could serve as a model for how these sites can be transformed into valuable community resources, rather than being left to deteriorate.

The details

The blue-framed, boxy power plant has stood on a prominent point overlooking the entrance to Norwalk Harbor for decades. While the facility has been decommissioned, some local residents see it as having untapped potential to be redeveloped into something that could benefit the surrounding community.

  • The power plant on Manresa Island has been decommissioned for an unspecified number of years.

The players

Austin McChord

A local resident who was kayaking near the Manresa Island power plant and sees potential in redeveloping the site.

Allison McChord

A local resident who was kayaking near the Manresa Island power plant and sees potential in redeveloping the site.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like there's sometimes a sort of negative stigma to them, and that overwhelms the actual potential of those spaces and what they could be for the community, or the the greater region.”

— Austin McChord (The CT Mirror)

The takeaway

The Manresa Island power plant redevelopment project could serve as a model for how decommissioned industrial facilities can be transformed into valuable community assets, rather than being left to deteriorate and carry a negative stigma.