Fairfield Seeks Brownfield Cleanup Funds For Proposed Housing Site

FAIRFIELD, CT — A "brownfield" site near the Fairfield Metro Center Train Station is slated to become a mixed-use apartment and co-working space complex, and Fairfield officials are hoping to obtain state funds for an environmental clean-up of the property.

The 4.9-acre site at 81 Black Rock Turnpike is the former home of the Bullard Machine Tool Company, an industrial manufacturer, and it is thought to contain contaminated soil.

In a recent presentation to the Fairfield Board of Selectpersons, Mark Barnhart, the town's Director of Community & Economic Development, gave a presentation on the project.

"The Fairfield Economic Development Commission (EDC) has long identified 81 Black Rock Turnpike as a brownfield site and redevelopment opportunity," Barnhart wrote in a memo to the board. "Brownfields are defined as any abandoned or underutilized site where reuse or redevelopment has been impeded by the presence or suspected presence of contamination in buildings, soil or groundwater. The site was once part of a larger industrial complex occupied by Bullard, a machine tool manufacturer, which ceased operations locally in the 1980’s. Various environmental assessments conducted in the years since have revealed the presence of soil contamination emanating from this legacy industrial use. The building was mostly demolished in 2014, leaving only the slab in place."

Officials received approval from the Board of Selectpersons to apply for a grant of $3 million from the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development's Municipal Brownfield Grant Program to help clean-up the site. The brownfield grant program has a pool of $25 million for such clean-up efforts around the state; Fairfield and other Connecticut municipalities could apply for up to $4 million under the program.

The town is working with Post Road Realty, LLC, the developer of the project, which could hold dozens of apartments, some retail and co-working space.

"Post Road Realty, with offices in downtown Fairfield, is proposing a mixed, use transit oriented development at 81 Black Rock Turnpike, to include 240 residential units as well as ancillary retail, co-working and public amenity space," Barnhart said. "Post Road is the developer of 'The Anchorage,' a luxury 90-unit residential community located at 333 Unquowa Road. The proposed project has gone through a non-binding, pre-application concept review with the Town Plan & Zoning Commission, which was favorably received."

He added, "We think this is a worthwhile endeavor to expeditiously get the site cleaned up."

Selectman Tom Flynn agreed, adding that once completed, the complex will be added to the town's tax rolls. "I don't see any downside to this. It's basically a pass-through grant."