'Sky's the limit.' Community pitches ideas for future of Stratford Army Engine Plant site
The community is making its voice heard as developers seek opinions for the future of the 77-acre waterfront property.
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When it comes to the old Stratford Army Engine Plant, everyone seems to have a story to tell.
“I just remember my brother working down there when it was AVCO Lycoming, and then Textron," Amy Spivack-Cooney, of Stratford, says. "But it’s been vacant so long, it’s hard to remember everything."
But now, it’s time to write the site’s next chapter.
The community is making its voice heard as developers seek opinions for the future of the 77-acre waterfront property.
“It’d be nice to see waterfront restaurants, stores, something you could walk," Stratford's Erik Manley says. "Everybody said nobody was ever going to do anything with it, and it’s exciting now because it’s kind of like the sky’s the limit."
“I’d say No. 1, the most access our townspeople can have to it," Don Brelsford of Stratford says, "because I think they deserve it after decades and decades of not having access to one of the most beautiful spots on the whole east coast."
The developers, Point Stratford, have a survey to get community input. The company is also hosting a series of open houses, like the one Monday night at Stratford High School.
"What we want to think about is what happened over the last 100 years on this property," Jim Cabrera of Point Stratford Renewal says, "but what we’re trying to build today is what’s going to happen in the next 100 years."
Mayor David Chess says six months ago, there was talk of building warehouses on the site, but now there’s a real plan for mixed-use development.
“In all of our lives, there’s always these pivotal moments that define us," Mayor Chess says. "This is a pivotal moment for Stratford."
Town officials say there will be more community open houses in the coming months.
