Hartford seeks best path forward to close Brainard Airport, MIRA plant

“I understand the economics that an airport could bring to the city, but the opportunity has come and gone four-fold.” — Hartford City Councilman James Sanchez Jr.

HARTFORD — The Hartford City Council is stepping up its efforts to bring about the redevelopment of the industrial South Meadows, a far-off prospect that would require the closure of Hartford-brainard Airport and a neighboring trash plant.

The body voted in August to urge the closure of the century-old airfield, and it passed a resolution in September calling for a complete shutdown of the regional trash facility next door, which is slated to stop burning trash this summer but could continue operating as a transfer station.

While there are no formal plans to shut either operation down, the council is looking to map a path forward. On Thursday, the planning, economic development and housing committee will discuss forming a task force on the subject to recommend the most efficient process for closing the airport and trash center.

The South Meadows Area Redevelopment Task Force, proposed by councilman James Sanchez Jr., would include residents of Hartford and neighboring towns.

The group would spend 90 days developing recommendations for reclaiming 200 acres of land from Brainard, which is operated by the quasi-public

Connecticut Airport Authority, and 80 acres from the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority facility.

Sanchez wants the task force to educate the council on the process of decommissioning an airport and to recommend a vision for the potential redevelopment. He also wants to pressure MIRA to present an exit plan for its Maxim Road facility, including the process for environmental cleanup.

Political pressure has grown in recent years to redevelop the prime, riverfront properties into housing, entertainment, retail and commercial space and a marina.

“You’re looking at the possibility of creating an entirely new neighborhood,” Sanchez said.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and state Sen. John W. Fonfara, D-hartford, have been some of the most outspoken advocates of closing the airfield and MIRA plant.

Despite a 30% decline in takeoffs and landings at Brainard over the past decade, the CAA says it’s not in a position to close the airport; executive director Kevin Dillon has said it would likely cost millions of dollars to repay federal grants and conduct a study to determine whether Brainard has outlived its usefulness and the likelihood of claims from tenants at the airport.

Instead, the CAA — which is also largely exempt from local property taxes — wants to attract new businesses to the airfield, though Dillon says that effort is hampered by the city’s campaign to shut Brainard down.

Sanchez says he isn’t swayed by the CAA’S goal of reviving the airfield with new tenants.

“I understand the economics that an airport could bring to the city, but the opportunity has come and gone four-fold,” the councilman said.

Meanwhile, MIRA submitted an application to the state in September to change its operation at the trash-to-energy plant in Hartford. The agency is requesting to use the South Meadows facility as a temporary holding station for the trash it collects from participating cities and towns.

MIRA proposes shipping up to 6,000 tons of garbage a week from the South Meadows to out-of-state landfills.