New Milford plans to transform a former brass mill property into a public works campus, addressing both economic and environmental challenges. Situated on Scovill Street along the West Aspetuck River, the contaminated brownfield will initially host a three-story fire-training tower made from shipping containers. The town’s long-term vision includes a 60,000-square-foot complex for various municipal operations. Cleanup efforts continue as part of an ongoing redevelopment process that began after the mill closed in 1986 and the property was acquired by the town in 1999 following legal disputes over demolition costs.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Nearly 40 years after a brass mill shut down on the banks of the West Aspetuck River, the long-vacant industrial property in New Milford is finally being lined up for a new purpose, one that could turn a contaminated brownfield into a working municipal campus and, eventually, help create new public riverfront space elsewhere in town.
uncertain
that → shut → town
The first step is surprisingly small: a three-story fire-training tower assembled from five repurposed shipping containers.
asserted
step → assemble → containers
The tower is proposed for the former Century Brass Mill property on Scovill Street, where the town plans to eventually build a 60,000-square-foot public works complex.
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town → propose → complex
The latest plans were reported by the News-Times and CT Insider, while New Milford’s 2026-27 budget confirms that the Century Brass project remains an active municipal priority.
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project → report → Times
The mill closed in 1986, leaving behind a large industrial property that would spend decades caught between environmental cleanup, demolition and redevelopment efforts.
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that → close → efforts
The site was contaminated with substances including PCBs and asbestos.
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site → contaminate → PCBs
After the town acquired the property through foreclosure in 1999, plans to clear the former mill became entangled in a legal dispute with a demolition contractor.
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plans → acquire → contractor
That dispute ultimately went to court.
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dispute → go → court
In 2019, a Connecticut judge ruled in New Milford’s favor and awarded the town nearly $490,000 after finding that the contractor had breached its demolition contract.
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contractor → rule → contract
The state’s Appellate Court later upheld the town’s victory and sent the question of additional damages back for further consideration.
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Court → uphold → consideration
The industrial buildings are now gone.
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buildings → go → ?
What remains is a mostly vacant 66-acre property, with only a portion considered suitable for development.
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portion → remain → development
The town’s long-term plan is to move its public works operations from Young’s Field Road to the former brass mill property.
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plan → move → property
The proposed campus would bring the engineering, highway and facilities departments together, while also providing space for fleet maintenance, indoor storage for vehicles and equipment and a helipad with a garage.
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campus → propose → garage
Because wetlands and other environmental constraints limit the developable portion of the property, the town expects much of the site to remain natural.
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much → limit → site
Firefighters would use the structure for smoke-filled training exercises, giving the town a practical facility while work toward the larger campus continues.
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work → use → campus
The proposal still requires consideration by New Milford’s Zoning Commission.
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proposal → require → Commission
The cleanup is not quite the end of the story
The redevelopment also shows how complicated the afterlife of an industrial property can be.
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afterlife → show → property
New Milford has continued allocating money to the Century Brass project.
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Milford → continue → project
The town’s 2026-27 budget includes funding for environmental work at the site, underscoring that redevelopment is taking place alongside the continuing obligations associated with the property’s industrial past.
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redevelopment → include → past
For a community that once watched the brass mill dominate this stretch of town, the eventual transformation could be significant: an abandoned factory site becoming a place where municipal crews maintain roads, equipment and public infrastructure.
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crews → watch → roads
But the plan reaches beyond the former mill property.
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plan → reach → property
A riverside park could follow
Moving public works away from Young’s Field Road would free up the town’s existing materials-storage yard along the Housatonic River.
uncertain
Moving → follow → River
The town envisions restoring that property and turning it into a small public park, with native vegetation and opportunities for passive recreation.
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town → envision → recreation
That means the Century Brass redevelopment could ultimately produce two very different outcomes: an old industrial brownfield put back into productive use, and an existing municipal yard converted into green space beside the river.
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redevelopment → mean → river
For New Milford, the transformation is less about erasing the past than finding a new use for land that has been waiting for one for decades.
asserted
that → erase → decades
