Wentfield Park Restoration and Expansion

The Wentfield Park Restoration project is a major brownfields redevelopment in an urban center for the City of Bridgeport. The objective of the project was to acquire five parcels and expand a park from six to ten acres. Two former manufacturing facilities- an industrial printing facility and metal extrusion plan- were among the parcels purchased. The City of Bridgeport is one of the first in the nation to use a new and innovative redevelopment process designed to revitalize whole communities rather than mere parcels of land. The Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment Process offers a framework for building sustainable communities around Brownfields sites. The key component of the process is to bring together a broad group of stakeholders and actively engage them in the project. The Went Field Park group includes residents, community groups, City leaders and environmental officials from the USEPA.

The park is situated in the heart of a residential neighborhood surrounded by industrial properties. In its goal to achieve a livable community, the Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment Process strives to help community residents take responsibility for activities affecting their neighborhood. A first step for the residents of the West End was establishing a Public Safety Committee and Block Watches. For more information see Went Field Park factsheet or EPA web page.