by Laura Glesby The New Haven independent
Let’s say the city were to purchase the English Station power plant, and let’s say the building gets demolished. If the city converts the land into a public park, what amenities should that park include?
City officials asked that question of Fair Haven residents and urban planning enthusiasts at a community meeting Wednesday night, ahead of a zoning amendment that would legalize such a park on that land.
They heard back a question in response: Why is the city moving so fast on a contaminated and legally embroiled property?
Around 50 people convened in the cafeteria of John S. Martinez School on Wednesday evening for a conversation about the abandoned power plant on Ball Island — framed within a series of conversations about the city’s plans to invest in the broader Mill River district.
The meeting took place just over a month after the city announced an intention to convert the old coal and oil power plant into a public park.
And it took place one week before the City Plan Commission is scheduled to review a proposed zoning amendment that would legalize such a park on that property.
The city does not own the property in question, which is currently embroiled in a legal fight over the extent to which United Illuminating (UI), the former operator of the power plant, must rid the property of environmental contaminants.
UI operated the plant until 1999, after which the land changed hands from company to company — including LLCs run by a cast of swindlers and counterfeiters. Currently, the property is in the hands of the New York-based LLCs Haven River Properties and Paramount View Millennium.
The city sent a letter to those companies in late July, expressing interest in purchasing the old power plant.
According to Deputy Economic Development Administrator Carlos Eyzaguirre, the city heard back from a lawyer representing the property owners. “We’ve engaged in initial conversations,” he said, and the owners are “open to further discussion” about the city’s potential purchase of the land, though he noted, “it’s still pretty early.”
Meanwhile, the state is suing UI to complete a long-awaited environmental cleanup of the historic property. UI had been required to spend $30 million to clean up the property within three years per a consent order in 2016.
According to a UI spokesperson, as of July, the company has spent $22 million since then on remediation, including the removal of 8,700 tons of contaminated soil and 1,300 cubic yards of asbestos, as well as 24/7 site security. Of that amount, $17 million counts toward its $30 million obligation.
UI has maintained that it is not obligated to demolish the building or remediate the property to a “residential” standard, a more thorough cleanup that could cost $60 million.
As the state and the electric company remain at odds over the state of the cleanup, the site is currently closed to the public in part due to toxic and carcinogenic contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
At Wednesday’s meeting, city officials pitched the idea that the city could purchase the former power plant and transform it into a public park — a development that would anchor the city’s planned overhaul of the industrial Mill River District into a more residential and walkable neighborhood.
Ball Island is “a key spot in our river system and an opportunity to create something special,” said City Engineer Giovanni Zinn.
“We don’t have any standing” in the property’s ownership or in the current fight between UI and the state, he added. “We believe the building is most likely to be demolished.”
One proposal that the city has floated, including in a letter to the City Plan Commission, would involve a large outdoor swimming pool at the center of the island.
City Youth and Recreation Director Gwendolyn Williams stressed the importance of increasing access to swimming education for young people across the city.
“A lot of young Black and Brown kids were cut off from access” to water, Williams said. “I was a young person who never had access to learn how to swim.”
Williams argued that the park could foster kids’ ability to “learn about nature” and “exercise.”
Fair Haveners Christina Griffin and Barry Gladue.
Juarez’ adamant post-it note.
When the room broke out into smaller conversations around maps of the island, Ana Paola Juarez immediately wrote on a post-it note, “NO POOLS.” She double-underlined the words.
City Landscape Architect Josh Price asked about this opposition to the pool.
“We have a pool in this building,” Juarez said, referring to the school’s public pool. “They couldn’t even keep it open all summer.”
(While Martinez’ pool was open this summer, it was closed for repairs for the summer of last year. This summer, meanwhile, three of the city’s five public pools were closed for repairs as well.)
“You’re right,” nodded Spencer Luckey across the table.
“It’s a very contaminated area,” said Juarez. “Would you let your kids swim in there when [the cleanup] is done?”
Christina Griffin was also skeptical of an outdoor pool. “How will a pool benefit the community if it’s only open during the summer?” she asked.
Barry Gladue expressed wariness of the cost and feasibility of a sufficiently thorough cleanup of the power plant — especially given UI’s resistance to carrying out such a cleanup.
“I feel like we’re inheriting a problem,” Gladue said. “How much is it going to cost us?”
He pointed to other abandoned properties across the city that have languished for decades despite community meetings about various visions for those buildings’ future uses. “I’ve been hearing about the Strong School forever,” he said.
“Does the city have the funds to complete” the remediation? asked Juarez.
“We need to hear what the plan is to clean it up,” pressed Gladue.
“You’re right — this is an aspirational project,” said Price. “There are some things in our control and some things not in our control. I hope that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it.”
“This community is full of Black and Brown people,” Griffin said. “When I hear you want to build on contaminated land,” a proposal like that reminds her of environmental racism and a disregard for community members’ health in recent history, she said.
“At least be appreciative of the leeriness that comes from the community,” said Griffin.
Juarez said that the pacing of the community input process contributed to her mistrust.
She said that she received notice about the meeting less than a week in advance and felt as though the city had already decided on the idea for a park since announcing the plan in July.
“To me, it sounds really rushed,” said Juarez.
Price asked the group to provide feedback on how the city can “do a better job of bringing amenities to the community, making a greener space out of a contaminated space, with input from the community.”
Luckey suggested that the city organize a design competition for the park.
Juarez noted that none of the Fair Haven or Mill River alders could be present at the meeting.
According to Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller, the alders received notice of the meeting from the city in the middle of last week. “That is not typically the way it works,” she said. “These events are always coordinated with the alders. We plan together. That did not happen in this case.”
According to Miller, “All of the alders notified the administration that we had conflicts and that we had concerns about the short notice in terms of meaningful community engagement. There was no acknowledgement of those concerns.”
Asked about these concerns, City Spokesperson Lenny Speiller noted that Mill River Alder Ellen Cupo expressed support for the idea of a park in a July press release. “Fair Haven families and children have grown up with a defunct eyesore in their backyard. I am thrilled that the City of New Haven is taking bold steps to remedy these issues and revitalize the neighborhood by purchasing the property,” she had written. “The City’s plan to create a brand new green space will transform Grand Avenue.” Cupo did not respond to requests for comment prior to the publication of this article.
At the end of the meeting, attendees had a chance to share ideas and feedback with the room at large.
The pool idea received mixed reactions overall. Some residents echoed concerns that the city is already unable to consistently maintain its existing pools, while others expressed enthusiasm for increasing kids’ swim education opportunities.
Joe Fekieta presented a prewritten pitch to preserve English Station and convert it into a grand art museum.
Chris Ozyck proposed a “community marina” with kayaking opportunities.
Dionne Lowndes called for affordable housing that is truly accessible to New Haveners who are struggling to afford to stay in the city.
“It’s getting so, so hard to live in New Haven. I love this town, I really, really do, but we have to think about how we can afford to live here,” she said. “I would love to see smaller units where people who live in the neighborhood can enjoy the neighborhood. And my girlfriends and I can walk around, and enjoy the businesses.”
(Update:) City Spokesperson Lenny Speiller responded to a question about the timing of the meeting with the following statement: “The city has had several public meetings and engagements about the
future of the Mill River district, and this is the first of several community meetings about the proposed creation of Mill River Park. We look forward to continuing to engage with residents in Mill River, FairHaven, Wooster Square and across the city about this initiative, and the prospect of transforming this long abandoned property into a new waterfront public park and recreational asset for Elm City residents that will also help catalyze new investment, new housing and development, and a new future for the Mill River district.”
Dionne Lowndes: Prioritize affordable housing.
Swimming advocate Ian Christmann used generative AI to visualize a pool on Ball Island.