Brownfields Success Story Torin Site Torrington, CT The redevelopment of a former manufacturing site in the center of Torrington has brought hope and optimism to an area long overburdened by brownfields and left vacant for over a decade. Despite several challenges along the way, the Torin site was revitalized over time thanks to strong and committed partnerships. A much-needed parking lot built in 2014 spurred more activity on the site, which has now been redeveloped into a mixed- income, mixed-use community. Among the obstacles local officials faced at this site, the city was coming up on the deadline for using its $1 million revolving loan fund from the EPA, and none of the money had been spent. The city, EPA, the state, and local organizations worked through the project to finish the parking lot. This became a catalyst for the city to expand the site into mixed-use commercial and residential development. Priming the Property for Redevelopment The Torin site was once home to a manufacturing company that specialized in heavy metal plating operations before being taken over by another corporation. Concerned about contamination from hazardous substances and PCBs, the city was eager to clean up and redevelop this property so close to the downtown. Located less than a block from the main street, the site sits along the Naugatuck River and across the street from a major retail location and a park used for high school and college baseball games. Before the site could be redeveloped, the city had to acquire the property, find a contractor, take samples, and clean up the property. A new mayor and her staff found they had only ten months to use the funds from a stalled loan and redevelop the site. The city, determined to forge ahead, brought together the EPA, state agencies, a local engineer, the city planner, and a regional governmental organization to figure out a path forward. The team decided on a phased approach and created a tight timeline. Out of the $1 million, the city ended up spending about $670,000 to plan the cleanup, hire a contractor for oversight, take and analyze samples, and clean the site. The state Department of Economic Community Development also provided a $1 million grant to continue the cleanup, finish the trail work, and create mixed-use affordable housing. The state also gave out a $100,000 assessment grant for the adjacent site at 100 Franklin Drive, which was originally broken off from the rest of the property. The site was identified for potential future parking and development. Riverfront building (Photo Credit: City of Torrington) EPA Grant Recipient: City of Torrington Grant Types: Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Current Use: Mixed-Use Commercial, Residential Development Former Uses: Metal Plating, Manufacturing Riverfront building entrance (Photo Credit: City of Torrington) &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency ------- Site before construction began (Photo Credit: City of Torrington) Today The success of the EPA and state funds spurred a mixed-use, mixed-income residential community development that was completed in October 2022. Riverfront is a new mixed-income, mixed-use community located along the Naugatuck River at 100 Franklin Street in downtown Torrington. The city worked with the developer to build a community that includes 60 family apartments, 1,200 square feet of retail space, and an extension of the Naugatuck Greenway Trail for the public. At least 45 out of the 60 apartments are reserved for households earning up to 70% of the area median income, and the apartments come with a rooftop deck, outdoor playground and seating areas, fitness center, community lounge, full-time management and maintenance staff, and many more state-of-the-art amenities. The development also includes 1,200 square feet of ground floor retail space that includes outdoor seating for customers and connects to the Naugatuck Greenway extension. The building meets energy efficiency standards and utilized green infrastructure practices. The transformation of the site allows for more green space and walkability in downtown Torrington. The site held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion and opening of Riverfront on October 6, 2022. The success of the original EPA loan opened the door to other redevelopment opportunities. The city used all available state grant funds for additional cleanup on the site before tapping into EPA funds, which the city had already paid back as a condition of the loan. The city directed the first round of EPA funds to preparing the site for future development, leveraged the funds toward a state grant, and then came back to the EPA to use the money on unforeseen cleanup issues that came up during remediation. This is an example of how an entity was able to use an EPA loan over and over again to advance the site for redevelopment. This project worked because key partners came together at the right time and place. Not only did strong partnerships ensure successful completion of the project, but they allowed the city to leverage additional funding for redevelopment. "I was, and continue to be, committed to improving the quality of life for Torrington residents, and moved forward with the development of Franklin Plaza, a $2M investment in public infrastructure, with full confidence that this would attract both investors and residents to the site." Elinor Carbone, Mayor City of Torrington, CT Then August 2014 July 2019 September 2019 October 2022 Now Phase 1 Remediation Phase 2 Remediation Construction Begins Redevelopment Complete For more information: Visit the EPA Brownfields website at www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact Jessica Dominguez at 617-918-1627 or Dominguez.Jessica@epa.gov EPA 901-F-23-004 April 2023 for informational use only - no endorsement intended ------- |