Fire Training School To Be Removed

The story below originally ran in January, 2008 at the start of the demolition process. The spot is now a flat open area awaiting future development. Click here to learn more.

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Prelude to a waterfront park

The City of Derby is preparing to remove the abandoned fire training facility on O'Sullivan's Island as the first step in a plan to complete a full environmental cleanup of the site which served the city and Valley well for decades as a training facility for the area's volunteer fire departments. In recent weeks much of the overgrowth of brush on the site has been removed in preparation for the demolition and the decrepit buildings have become more visible.

The site is now a Brownfields site, and the City will need to complete a full environmental evaluation and cleanup before the property can be put back to use. City leaders believe that the site which is located at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers adjacent to the popular Derby Greenway will make an excellent location for a new park. However, before that can happen, the removal of the buildings will make it possible for the city to get a full assessment of the contaminants that may be buried on the site. Once that is done, a cleanup plan can be implemented.

The site is not accessible to the public at this point in time because of the potential hazards.

Click on arrow to take a video tour of the site.