Bridgeport Brass was a 35-acre complex that manufactured brass, copper and bronze tubing, piping, wire, rod and sheet stock beginning in the mid 1800's and included approximately 21.5 acres located at 560 North Washington Avenue. In 1987, 560 North Washington Avenue was divided into 16 separate industrial condominium units. The City of Bridgeport is one of several unit owners at this complex and has plans of redevelopment.
The Site is located on land reclaimed from the Pequonnock River in the late 1800s, and residential buildings characterized the site until 1937. The Site was redeveloped in 1937 for industrial use with the construction of a warehouse and occupied by Bridgeport Brass until the company went out of business circa 1983. The former Bridgeport Brass facility manufactured brass, copper and bronze tubing, wire, rod and sheet stock. Manufacturing processes across the entire Bridgeport Brass complex included heating, molding, cutting, annealing, cleaning, rolling, extruding, pickling, plus tool and die works. Materials handled included metals, solvents, cyanide, acids, caustics, and oils. Wastes generated include solvents, oils, metal sludges, acids and wastewater. Historically the facility was a large quantity generator of hazardous waste under the federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) program. Small commercial and industrial shops occupied the Site from the 1980s until present.
Fill soil was identified to depths of approximately 7-feet below surface grade (bsg). The Site is also located within a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zone. The CTDEEP Water Quality Classifications Map (CTDEEP, 2015) indicates that groundwater underlying the site is classified as GB. The Site is connected to the public water and sewer systems. No private drinking water wells or septic systems are currently present on-site.
Units 6E, 6F, 7 and 8, which are currently owned by the City of Bridgeport and comprise a total of approximately 5.11-acres of the 21.5-acre former Bridgeport Brass property Unit 6E is comprised of a 6,175-square foot (SF) building. Unit 6F comprised of the ground floor/basement portion of a multi-unit
complex. This Unit is comprised of 25,500-square feet. Unit 7 is a single structure comprised of approximately 159,126-SF. Unit 8 is comprised of 1.95- acres of land which includes a 76,757-SF building structure.
The City of Bridgeport took ownership of Units 6E and 8 in July 2007. Unit 7 transferred from BEZ, Inc to BEZ, Inc and HI HO Industrial in June 1989, to Realty Asset Properties HR LTD in December 1998, to Bridgestone Equities LLC in July 2002, and then to the City of Bridgeport in October 2013.
Currently Unit 6E is vacant and in disrepair. Unit 6F is currently being utilized as a storage unit to house items such as furniture, antiques, cars, machinery, etc. Unit 7 is vacant with some machinery and furniture storage. Unit 8 is vacant with remnants of former equipment and miscellaneous debris piles.