The Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill is located in Redding’s Georgetown village. The Wire Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wire Mill site is also a brownfield.

A brownfield is defined by Connecticut General Statutes §32-760 as “any abandoned or underutilized site where redevelopment, reuse or expansion has not occurred due to the presence or potential presence of pollution in the buildings, soil or groundwater that requires investigation or remediation before or in conjunction with the restoration, redevelopment, reuse and expansion of the property.”

The Town of Redding took ownership of 44 acres of the Wire Mill property in 2020, after a lengthy foreclosure process that began in 2015 ended at the Connecticut Supreme Court in a victory for the Town.

What’s Happening Now?

Monday October 30,  2023: Brownfield Grant Public Meeting

The Town of Redding is applying for an EPA Cleanup Grant to request funding for remedial activities at the Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill Site located at 20 North Main St and 50 Bennett St, property owned by the Town of Redding.  As part of the application process, The Town of Redding will host a meeting to solicit public input on Monday October 30, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Hearing Room, 100 Hill Rd.

Public Meeting Presentation:
EPA Cleanup Grant Public Meeting Oct. 30, 2023 Presentation
EPA Cleanup Grant Public Meeting Handout

Environmental Protection Agency FY 24 Brownfield Cleanup Grant Application:
All documents are drafts for discussion

1. Draft Narrative Information Sheet
2. Draft Project Area Description and Plans for Revitalization
3. Draft Response to Threshold Criteria
4. Draft Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives

June 2023 – October 2023

Environmental & structural site assessments began in 2021 and continue today funded by $400,000 in Department of Economic Development Office of Brownfield Redevelopment grants awarded to the Town. ($200,000 awarded June 2021 and $200,000 awarded June 2023.) This work is a prerequisite for any entity, public or private, seeking state and/or federal brownfield funds to assist with brownfield remediation and redevelopment.

Environmental Assessment Work Plan Summer 2023-Fall 2023
Presentation: Update on Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessments May 22, 2023
BOS Presentation_Restoring A Community Asset Oct. 16, 2023
Wire Mill Advisory Committee – Annual Report 23-24_Final

October 2022 – May 2023

Following the completion of the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment in July of 2022, licensed environmental professionals (engineers) from the firm Tighe & Bond conducted an environmental hazards gap analysis, hazardous building materials survey, a structural review of the Norwalk River, walls, and a structural review of the historic buildings. The summary findings were presented at a public  meeting on May 22, 2023. Click the link to view.

Presentation: Update on Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessments May 22, 2023

January 2022 – July 2022 Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

The first deliverable under the CT Department of Economic Development Office of Brownfield Redevelopment Assessment Grant awarded in July of 2021 was a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). A Phase I ESA is a required of a property owner seeking brownfield funding through CT DECD and/or US EPA.

The Town of Redding was awarded a $200,000 Brownfield Assessment Grant in June 2021. The Phase 1 ESA was initiated in late 2021 and completed in July 2022, followed by a presentation to the Town of the findings and recommendations for next steps. The Phase I ESA also revealed gaps in prior environmental surveys and found new areas of concern (AOCs).

A series of additional environmental & structural assessments were recommended as the progression of the overall site assessment continues. The work is also funded by the $200,000 grant.

July 18, 2022:  BOS Meeting with Tighe and Bond: Powerpoint slides Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Update (ESA) and recommendations for next steps

For more detail on the environmental and other assessments funded under the Brownfield Grant program, and other historic documentation of prior site activities, click to expand the accordion menus.

Wire Mill Public Forum Recordings

Redding Got Mill 9-30-15 from Robert Moran on Vimeo.

Speakers:
Tim Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner CT DECD
Wes Haynes, CT Trust for Historic Preservation
Julia Pemberton, First Selectwoman