Retired Oil Tanks Demolished At Norwalk's Manresa Island

News release from Manresa Island Corp.:

NORWALK, CT — [On Friday], Manresa Island Corp., the nonprofit leading the former industrial site’s rehabilitation into a waterfront community park, celebrated a major milestone: the demolition of three 7.5-million-gallon steel oil tanks, which have sat empty on the island for over a decade. Community leaders and elected officials, including Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, U.S. Representative Jim Himes, Connecticut State Senator Bob Duff, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, and Norwalk Common Council President Barbara Smyth marked the moment with a press conference held in front of the former coal-fired and oil-powered power plant, which operated on the island between 1953 and 2013 and expanded the site from 23 to 125 acres through coal-ash dissemination.

The tank removal process lays critical groundwork for Manresa’s transformation into an ‘island for all’—freeing up over 76,000 square feet of land for subsurface investigation to inform a comprehensive site remediation plan, currently being developed in close collaboration with Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). This broader remediation strategy is essential to restoring the ecological potential of the brownfield site, making it safe for future use by the public, and creating a vibrant regional asset that embraces its coastal setting on the Long Island Sound and the needs of the Norwalk community.

“Connecticut is proud to lead the way in transforming brownfields into vibrant community assets,” said Connecticut Governor, Ned Lamont. “Today, we’re celebrating more than just the oil tank demolition— we’re building one of the cleanest, greenest public spaces in the region, and showing what’s possible when we invest in sustainability and public access to the shoreline.”

“The Manresa Island project promises to be a game changer for Norwalk and the entire region, unlocking access to a stretch of shoreline that has been closed to the public for more than 70 years,” said U.S. Representative Jim Himes. “Today marks a major step forward in turning this site into a clean, green, and publicly accessible landmark—one that will join Connecticut’s proud legacy of protecting and celebrating our natural resources.”

“For years, this site stood as a reminder of what was. Today, it becomes a symbol of what’s next,” said Connecticut State Senator Bob Duff. “This major construction milestone is a critical step toward turning Manresa Island into a publicly accessible park that brings new life, learning, and opportunity to Norwalk.”

"Repurposing Manresa Island into one of the most ambitious environmental and public space projects in Norwalk's history will enhance the quality of life for our community for decades to come," said Norwalk Mayor, Harry Rilling. "The park will substantially increase access to Norwalk's shoreline and recreational experiences, providing endless social, environmental, and economic benefits—from protecting our coastline and wildlife to creating a new destination for families and educators. We're proud to see the first signs of progress taking shape."

"The oil tank removal is a critical step towards unlocking the extraordinary potential of 125 acres of waterfront land that has sat dormant for far too long,"said Barbara Smyth, Norwalk Common Council President. "This project embodies the kind of visionary initiative our city needs: turning an industrial remnant into a sustainable community asset, while ensuring our shoreline remains a source of pride and opportunity for future generations."

“We are proud to celebrate the first of many steps on the way towards transforming Manresa,” said Austin and Allison McChord. “We have been energized by the community’s support for the project and are excited to deliver the park for Norwalk and the region.”

“Today marks a pivotal turning point for Manresa Island,” said Jessica Vonashek, Executive Director of Manresa Island Corp. “For the first time in decades, we’re seeing physical change on-site that reflects the vision this community has been shaping: a healthy, welcoming, and inspiring waterfront. The removal of the oil tanks is a major milestone and just the beginning of the hard work ahead to safely remediate the site and lay the foundation for a world-class publicly accessible park.”

"The removal of the oil tanks is a foundational step towards the transformation of Manresa Island. This milestone clears the way to complete the site investigations requirements and prepare a remediation plan that will satisfy state and federal cleanup regulations,” said Marc Godick, LEP, Senior Vice President and Principal of AKRF’s Site Assessment and Remediation practice. “We’re proud to work alongside Manresa Island Corp., the City of Norwalk, and the State of Connecticut to restore this complex brownfield site into a resilient and vibrant public resource for generations to come."

Oil Tank Removal Details and Next Steps

The deconstruction and removal of the oil tanks represents the first physical update on the island since it was designated as a brownfield site in 2013. Located within a 5-acre bermed area on the southeastern end of the island, the three 1971-built tanks stood at approximately 40' tall with a 180' diameter, each encompassing a footprint of approximately 25,450 square feet. The process involved safely dismantling and cleaning the tanks and associated infrastructure, and trucking scrap material, totalling approximately 1,500 tons of steel, offsite to a recycling center. The oil tank removal process began on May 19, with demolition completed on June 30, 2025.

The remediation consultant team, led by engineering consultants AKRF, is currently working through the remediation permitting process, with approval expected by the end of 2025, following a period of input from the public. If approved, remediation work will begin in 2026. Barring any interruptions to this timeline, select areas of the site, including parts of the forest and walking trails could be open to the public as early as 2027.

The broader remediation strategy will address ash and other residual materials from the former coal-powered and oil-powered facility through a combination of capping and removal, guided by best practices that minimize environmental impact and traffic while meeting all EPA and state safety standards. In parallel, Manresa Island Corp. has begun partnering with local educational institutions to conduct on-site research, as well as develop off-site programming related to the site’s potential.

Manresa Island Corp. announced its mission of transforming the island into a publicly accessible park on October 1, 2024. Since then, the organization and its partners have toured well over 500 people on-site, gathered thousands of surveys from the community, held two community engagement meetings that drew around 800 attendees in total, partnered with the schools on the planting of pollinator gardens, served as a training facility for the Norwalk and Stamford Fire Departments, and engaged with dozens of local business and community leaders. On July 13th, 2025, Manresa Island Corp. is hosting its third community engagement session in the form of a Community Day Festival at Cove Point, where the latest vision for the park will be revealed. Led by renowned landscape architecture firm and community engagement facilitator SCAPE, the latest design was informed by this robust period of feedback, aligning with the organization’s pledge that Norwalk voices will continue to shape the development as it evolves.