Connecticut plans to turn contaminated 66-acre mill site into riverside park
The town of New Milford, Connecticut, is repurposing a contaminated former brass mill site into a municipal campus and public park. After decades of legal disputes and environmental cleanup, the town is moving forward with plans to relocate public works operations to the 66-acre property.
Why it matters
This project demonstrates the long-term process of brownfield remediation and the transformation of industrial liabilities into community assets.
Nearly 40 years after a brass mill shut down on the banks of the West Aspetuck River, the long-vacant industrial property in New Milford is finally being lined up for a new purpose, one that could turn a contaminated brownfield into a working municipal campus and, eventually, help create new public riverfront space elsewhere in town. The first step is surprisingly small: a three-story fire-training tower assembled from five repurposed shipping containers. The tower is proposed for the former Century Brass Mill property on Scovill Street, where the town plans to eventually build a 60,000-square-foot public works complex. The latest plans were reported by the News-Times and CT Insider, while New Milford’s 2026-27 budget confirms that the Century Brass project remains an active municipal priority.From factory floor to brownfieldCentury Brass was once a significant industrial presence in New Milford.
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