Grant Pushes Enfield Square Mall Site Closer To Redevelopment

ENFIELD, CT — A state brownfield grant is helping move the Enfield Square Mall site closer to redevelopment by funding environmental cleanup work required before any large-scale construction can begin, officials say.

The Town of Enfield will receive $4 million through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, part of a broader $28.2 million statewide funding round announced by Ned Lamont. The grant will support hazardous materials abatement and demolition at the mall property at 90 Elm Street, a 73.26-acre site.

State officials say brownfield grants are intended to address contamination and environmental risks that often prevent abandoned or underused properties from moving forward. Without cleanup funding, redevelopment plans frequently stall because remediation costs make projects financially infeasible.

The Enfield Square Mall opened in 1972 and remains open today, though many stores have closed in recent years as retail activity at the site has declined. At its peak, the mall was anchored by national retailers including Sears, JCPenney, and Macy’s, according to historical records and town planning documents.

While the brownfield grant is focused strictly on cleanup, additional steps toward redevelopment have already been taken. At a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on November 13th, board members unanimously approved a zone change intended to help move a redevelopment proposal forward.

During that meeting, Mitch Hohlen, a partner and director of development with Woodsonia Acquisitions, said infrastructure and site work could begin as early as March, pending final approvals and conditions.

“I would anticipate we have 12 to 18 months of site work where we have to demolish it, get utilities in, get access drives in,” Hohlen said.

Woodsonia Acquisitions is proposing a redevelopment known as “Enfield Marketplace,” which would transform the mall property into a mixed-use development featuring commercial space and approximately 465 residential units, with the potential to include a hotel. Hohlen said negotiations with existing mall tenants and prospective new businesses are currently underway.

State and local officials have said the brownfield funding represents a critical first step, addressing environmental conditions that must be resolved before redevelopment plans at the Enfield Square site can advance.