The Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve a special zoning district for Manresa Wilds, an adaptive reuse project that will reimagine a decommissioned power plant and its surroundings into a new public amenity for the city of Norwalk, Connecticut. Located on an industrial peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, the project includes a new 125-acre public park and the preservation and adaptation of the plant’s main structures: the 88,000-sq-ft turbine hall, which will become the heart of the complex; the 20,000-sq-ft administrative building; and the 120,000-sq-ft boiler building. Together, these spaces will be transformed into areas for events, education, research, and play while retaining key aspects of the existing plant – including the structural framework, 350-ft-tall smokestack, and office spaces. The vision for Manresa Wilds is shaped by input from over 3,000 community members through public meetings, surveys, and local conversations.
