Senator Maher Welcomes $200,000 Brownfield Remediation Grant For Gilbert and Bennet Wire Mill In Redding

Today, State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) welcomed the announcement that Redding will receive a $200,000 planning grant for the Georgetown Neighborhood, with a specific focus on the revitalization and redevelopment of the former Gilbert and Bennet Wire Mill brownfield site.

This comes just weeks after Redding leaders celebrated a federal Environmental Protection Agency brownfields cleanup grant valued at nearly $2 million for the same site, a 44-acre property that has not been in operation for decades and could provide important resources to the local community.

“All of this support, including this most recent grant, provide Redding with the resources necessary to truly support its residents and redevelop this site for purposes including housing, business or outdoor recreation,” said Sen. Maher. “I’m grateful that Redding is continuing to work toward these significant improvements.”

This $200,000 planning grant will support comprehensive planning of the Georgetown neighborhood, specifically revitalizing and redeveloping the brownfield site. It previously operated as a wire mill for more than 150 years and its soil is contaminated with hazardous materials and petroleum products from factory operations of the past.

The town also received a $200,000 remediation grant in June 2023, which was directed for studying of contamination levels at the site.