Stratford economic-development director outlines Army Engine site remediation, Title Flats and other projects during budget workshop

Mary Dean, the Town of Stratford’s economic development director, told the Ordinance Committee during a March 25 budget workshop that several large redevelopment projects and remediation efforts are active and will influence the town’s taxable grand list and future development patterns.

“Our biggest project we've been working on is the army engine site,” Dean said, listing the Title Flats residential project, ongoing demolition and remediation work, and follow-up work needed to ready parcels for developers. She said the Snippens portion of the Army Engine site “probably could handle about a 400,000 square foot building.”

Dean said Title Flats’ contractor has already started set‑up and that the contractor expects to finish the project by mid‑2026, working daytime hours only. She said the town is coordinating multiple departments on a separate fuel‑cell site and pursuing a phase‑3 cleanup so the property can be marketed; “above the 4,000,000 that DECD already gave us,” Dean said, referring to funding the town has received from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development for remediation.

Dean also described other active and prospective projects: a village development of about 99 apartments; an anticipated start at the former Center School site; Raymark cleanup; Parkway Plaza’s planned second phase, which the town said is expected to include a boutique hotel, followed by a mixed‑use phase with apartments and restaurants; and an adult‑use cannabis manufacturer taking the long building at 305 Hathaway that is expected to open in mid‑July and “hire about a hundred employees.”

Dean also listed retail marijuana developments and town revenue tied to sales: “we get 3% of the sales,” she said, and noted one opening planned where the old Johnny’s was and an existing retailer, “Butter,” near Oren Oak.

Finance staff present at the workshop said the town’s grand list rose by about $100 million year‑over‑year; the increase was raised during committee discussion as context for revenue and development expectations. Dean said the town has pursued multiple funding sources for remediation beyond DECD, including EPA funding and other external programs, and that the town is coordinating site engineering work with WSP for a Greenway extension.

Committee members pressed for documentation on grant amounts and remediation phases; Dean said she would provide detailed grant totals and remediation phase costs on request. No formal vote or budget decision on economic‑development account line items occurred during the portion of the workshop captured in the transcript.

Less urgent details discussed during the same session included specific property items (Mercer Towers, Wade’s Garage, Balance U building on Hathaway), active broker outreach on underused parcels, and periodic public meetings the town plans to hold about select projects.