LOCATION AND SIZE OF REMINGTON WOODS
344 acres in Bridgeport and 78 acres in Stratford, Connecticut.
422 acres in total.
DESCRIPTION
Remington Woods is the largest urban, privately owned, undeveloped
land remaining in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Statistics show that Fairfield County is short
on open space. Formerly used as a munitions testing site, the Woods is now an attractive open space with trees, plants,
all kinds of wildlife, a twenty-three acre lake called Lake Success and many inland wetlands. It is surrounded by a
metal fence and is NOT open to the public.
OWNERS
Sporting Goods Properties, a subsidiary of DuPont Corporation. 2.7 acres
have been donated to Stratford, CT toward a road to the site. The entire parcel was formerly owned by Remington Arms
Corporation.
PROBLEMS WITH THE SITE
Though much of the site is not polluted, Remington Woods is a "brownfield" which
DuPont is remediating to meet industrial standards. No major highway provides access to the site. The owners want
Remington Woods to be returned to productive use, but remain concerned about third party liability.
CURRENT PROPOSED USES FOR THE SITE
- DuPont, Bridgeport and Stratford government officials and the Bridgeport Regional
Business Council have proposed a large corporate office/industrial development to help drive economic growth in Bridgeport/Stratford.
- The Friends of Remington Woods propose to protect the land as open space or as a
green development to attract tourism. The Friends propose considering the following ideas: a biodiverse park with
botanical gardens; an arboretum; a major ecosystem demonstration; environmental research labs; a natural habitat zoo where
animals run free; a cutting edge multi-media center for inventive presentations by Fairfield County residents; an observatory;
a Remington Arms/Frederick Law Olmsted museum; a restaurant.
Since there are many scattered city sites which can respond to economic development,
The Friends believe that a huge centralized office proposal is not an enlightened approach. On the other hand, capitalizing
on the enormous public interest in the environment, each of the Friends proposals will add desirable open space and could
provide the major tourist attraction currently sought by the State of Connecticut. And what an enhancement for Bridgeport/Stratford
and Fairfield County.
ACCESS TO THE SITE
The business/industrial development proposal requires the development of a four-lane
highway from I-95 north to the site. Federal Highway “Environmental Justice” requirements will have to be
addressed, costs will be astronomical and achievement far out. Most of the employees will be white collars from the
suburbs and their commuter traffic hours will put unconscionable stress on I-95 and on Bridgeport’s high air pollution
and health problems. However, the Friends proposals should only require the use of existing roads, ferries and an improved
existing Seaview Avenue because both local users and tourists from New York, Boston and Long Island will arrive and leave
throughout the day.
EMPLOYMENT
The Friends believe that their proposals are more likely to offer greater employment
opportunities to Bridgeport/Stratford citizens.
INTENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT
Unlike the industrial office development, The Friends will limit green development
proposals to those which preserve contiguous open space for a large percentage of the property.
