Brownfields
Success Story
Willimantic Whitewater
Park
Willimantic, Ct.
The site of a former textile miii has been redeveloped as the Willimantic
Whitewater Park, a 3.5-acre riverfront area that brings biking, hiking,
kayaking and nature to the diverse community that surrounds it in
downtown Willimantic.
History
Founded in 1893, Willimantic is known as Thread City for its history of textile
mills during the 19th and 20th centuries. Sitting on the banks of the powerful
Willimantic River in the Town of Windham, Conn., Willimantic was a major
producer of silk and cotton textiles and operated as a rail hub in the early
20th century with more than 100 trains running through town daily. The
city's decline began after World War II and continued until the mills had all
closed by the 1980s,
The site of Willimantic Whitewater Park was once the home of the Windham
Cotton Manufacturing Co. which closed its doors in the early 1920s. It was
then home to a variety of industrial businesses, including a scrap yard in the
1940s, a gas station and car wash in the 1960s through the 1980s, and a fuel
depot from the 1980s to 2000.
Started as a grassroots movement in the summer of 2002, the Willimantic
Whitewater Partnership was founded primarily to create a Whitewater kayaking
park. When the former mill site, 3.5 acres on Bridge Street, became available for
sale several years later, the group envisioned it as the perfect location for their
park.
Home to Eastern Connecticut University and the Windham Textile Museum, this
town now boasts a beautiful waterfront park and trail hub for biking, hiking, and
kayaking. Part of the East Coast Greenway, Willimantic Whitewater Park has
created a recreational hub for a multicultural community and attracts visitors for
Riverfest, a family-oriented festival with kayaking, music and vendors.
Barriers to Redevelopment
Due to the industrial history of the site, the presence of heavy metals,
asbestos, oil tanks, and other chemicals in the soil stood in the way of the
partnership's plans for the site. Thanks to the commitment shown by the
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to fund
both assessment and cleanup activities at the site and a direct cleanup grant
from EPA, an overall investment of $356,000 in Brownfields funding enabled
the project to become a reality.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
"Opportunity Zones: helping to bring
investment to distressed communities"
EPA Grant Recipients:
Willimantic Whitewater Partnership, Inc.
and Connecticut Department of
Economic and Community Development
Grant Types:
Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund
Cleanup
Current Use:
Recreational Park
Former Use
Textile Mill

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Brownfields Funding Summary:
«.»¦?* n^jS;
"The EPA Brownfields Grant
has helped us turn what was
once a dumping ground into a
source of pride and a
recreational resource for the
whole community. The
Willimantic River was always
there, hidden from view, but
now it is revealed for everyone
to enjoy. Work continues to
develop our vision of creating
an urban waterfront park,
Whitewater kayaking
destination, and regional trails
hub in the heart of
Willimantic."
Jana Robersori, President
Willimantic Whitewater Partnership,
Inc.
Amount
$31,000
$125,000
$200,000
Source
Connecticut DECD assessment grant
Connecticut DECD Revolving Loan Fund for cleanup
direct cleanup grant from EPA
Today
Willimantic Whitewater Park is now a revived urban recreational area that
has evolved into a Whitewater park and recreational hub along the
Willimantic River. The park's trails follow converted railroad beds and the
river, allowing biking, hiking and canoeing. In 2018 and 2019, a design
competition was held at the park for renewable energy-producing public art.
The winning design, Rio lluminado, collects and converts sunlight into the
energy equivalent to what would be consumed by four households. The park
is seeking more funding for this aspect of their mission as well as more
landscaping and trail-related amenities.
For more information
Visit the EPA Brownfie ds website at
www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact
Dome Paar at 617-918-1432 or
paar.dorrie@epa.gov
EPA 901-F-20-002
June 2020
rio iluminad

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