Austin and Allison McChord
HR&A Advisors developed an operating and funding strategy for Manresa Island Park, a proposed new park and community hub that will transform a 130+-acre brownfield site on the Connecticut coast. HR&A’s work advanced the ambitious vision of owners Austin and Allison McChord to convert the waterfront site, home to a former power plant facility, into a regional recreational, ecological, and cultural hub with commanding views of Long Island Sound.
As part of a master planning team led by SCAPE Landscape Architecture and including Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), HR&A created a detailed operating strategy that balanced the site’s diverse planned uses. The team estimated operating expenses for both landscape and interior programming, and identified potential revenue streams from earned and contributed income sources. The operating strategy ensured the long-term sustainability of the park’s uses and amenities, including recreation areas, ecological restoration zones, academic research facilities, food and beverage outlets, and event spaces—all designed to attract regional visitors while maximizing connections to the shoreline and natural areas.
HR&A continues to support the project’s implementation by facilitating stakeholder engagement and building relationships with potential operating partners. This ongoing collaboration has been crucial in advancing the master plan from conceptual vision to implementable strategy, helping transform a former industrial site into a sustainable public asset that enhances community access to Long Island Sound while preserving and showcasing the site’s unique natural and industrial heritage.
