Brass Mill Center
A regional shopping mall and retail complex in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Brass Mill Center is a regional shopping mall in Waterbury, Connecticut, located near Interstate 84. The mall forms part of the larger Brass Mill retail complex, which also includes the adjacent Brass Mill Commons. The development was built at a reported cost of $160 million and contains approximately 1.18 million square feet of retail and entertainment space, making it one of Connecticut’s larger malls. At its peak, the center accommodated more than 130 shops and a broad tenant mix combining department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, services, and a multiplex cinema. The mall opened on September 17, 1997, as a major urban-redevelopment project intended to replace the older Naugatuck Valley Mall. Before construction, the site required extensive environmental and structural remediation: approximately 118,000 tons of contaminated soil and 63 vacant or deteriorated buildings were removed. Brass Mill Center subsequently became the principal enclosed retail destination in the Waterbury area. Former Naugatuck Valley Mall anchors Filene’s and Sears relocated to the new development, while the older mall was demolished in 1999. A planned Lechmere anchor never opened because its parent company, Montgomery Ward, shut the chain during the same period. The center originally operated with two floors of stores and a third-floor, 12-screen cinema. Its tenant roster changed substantially over time as department-store chains, discount retailers, supermarkets, restaurants, and entertainment operators entered or left the property. Former occupants have included Shaw’s Supermarket, Steve & Barry’s, Hometown Buffet, OfficeMax, Toys “R” Us, Sears, Macy’s, Michaels, Regal Cinemas, TJ Maxx, and Barnes & Noble. Later additions included Save-A-Lot in the former Shaw’s space, Shoppers World in 2013, Five Below and Ulta Beauty in a former OfficeMax area, an Ashley HomeStore outlet in part of the former Macy’s, and Apple Cinemas in the former Regal location. Ownership changed in April 2022, when Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Brass Mill Center for a reported $44.9 million. Like many enclosed malls, the property has faced tenant turnover, anchor vacancies, and changes in consumer behavior. Its entertainment offering also shifted after Regal Cinemas announced the closure of its location in 2022, followed by the opening of Apple Cinemas in 2024. In 2025, Burlington moved into the former TJ Maxx space in Brass Mill Commons. The mall has also been the site of serious public-safety incidents, including a May 2025 shooting that injured five people. Brass Mill Center remains an operating retail property, although its tenant composition and commercial role have evolved considerably since its 1990s opening.
History
Brass Mill Center was developed in Waterbury, Connecticut, as a large-scale retail and urban-revitalization project. Construction required the removal of approximately 118,000 tons of contaminated soil and 63 vacant or deteriorated buildings. The project, including the associated Brass Mill Commons complex, was reported to cost $160 million. Its location near Interstate 84 gave the development regional automobile access and supported its role as a replacement for the older Naugatuck Valley Mall. The mall opened on September 17, 1997. It was designed with two floors of stores and a third floor containing a 12-screen cinema. Former Naugatuck Valley Mall anchors Filene’s and Sears moved to the new property. A fourth anchor, Lechmere, had been planned but never opened because Montgomery Ward closed the chain in 1997. Naugatuck Valley Mall was later demolished in spring 1999, leaving Brass Mill Center as the principal enclosed mall serving Waterbury and the surrounding Naugatuck Valley. Over the following decades, the property experienced the normal churn associated with regional shopping centers, including anchor closures, business failures, relocations, and replacement tenants. Shaw’s Supermarket, Steve & Barry’s, Hometown Buffet, and OfficeMax were among the former occupants. Save-A-Lot took over the former Shaw’s space in 2011, and Shoppers World opened in 2013. Five Below and Ulta Beauty entered in 2017 in an area formerly occupied by OfficeMax. Toys “R” Us and Sears closed in 2018, while Macy’s departed in 2021. The loss of traditional department-store anchors contributed to the center’s continuing repositioning toward discount retail, specialty goods, home furnishings, and entertainment. Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the mall on April 19, 2022, for a reported $44.9 million. Later that year, Regal Cinemas announced that its location would close, citing the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former cinema space was subsequently reoccupied by Apple Cinemas in April 2024. Other recent changes included the opening of an Ashley HomeStore outlet in part of the former Macy’s premises in December 2023 and the relocation of Burlington into the former TJ Maxx space in Brass Mill Commons in August 2025. TJ Maxx itself left the adjacent complex in 2024, and Michaels closed in January 2025. The mall has also been affected by public-safety concerns. On May 27, 2025, a shooting in the central area injured five people. Police reported that the alleged shooter and one of the male victims knew each other and that the incident followed an escalating fight. In January 2026, Barnes & Noble closed its location, along with an in-store Starbucks, ending the presence of one of the mall’s original tenants. Despite substantial tenant turnover and changing retail conditions, Brass Mill Center continues to operate as a regional shopping and entertainment complex.
- 2026
Barnes & Noble closes
[1]Barnes & Noble and its in-store Starbucks closed on January 18.
- 2025
Shooting injures five people
[1]A shooting at the mall on May 27 injured five people.
- 2025
Burlington relocates to Brass Mill Commons
[1]Burlington moved into the former TJ Maxx space on August 22.
- 2024
Apple Cinemas opens
[1]Apple Cinemas opened in the former Regal Cinemas location in April.
- 2023
Ashley HomeStore outlet opens
[1]An Ashley HomeStore outlet opened in part of the former Macy’s space.
- 2022
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires the property
[1]Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Brass Mill Center on April 19 for a reported $44.9 million.
- 2022
Regal Cinemas announces closure
[1]Regal announced the closure of its cinema location on September 26.
- 2021
Macy’s closes
[1]Macy’s closed its Brass Mill Center location.
- 2018
Toys “R” Us and Sears close
[1]The two major tenants departed the mall.
- 2017
Five Below and Ulta Beauty open
[1]Both retailers opened in former OfficeMax space.
Products and positioning
A large, automobile-accessible regional shopping and entertainment destination serving Waterbury and the wider Naugatuck Valley, with a tenant mix spanning value retail, department stores, specialty shops, food service, and cinema.
Shopping mall · 1997
Brass Mill Center enclosed mall
The principal enclosed retail component of the development, with approximately 1.18 million square feet, two floors of stores, and a tenant mix covering department stores, discount retailers, specialty shops, food service, and consumer services.
Open-air retail complex · 1997
Brass Mill Commons
The accompanying retail complex associated with Brass Mill Center. Its tenant lineup has changed over time and has included large-format and off-price retailers, including TJ Maxx and Burlington.
Cinema · 2024
Apple Cinemas
A cinema operation that opened in April 2024 in the former Regal Cinemas space, restoring movie-theater use to the mall’s entertainment area.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2024
Cinema operator transitionGeneration changeBackground
Regal Cinemas announced the closure of its location in 2022, leaving the mall’s cinema space without its previous operator.
Action taken
Apple Cinemas opened in the former Regal location in April 2024.
Aftermath
Cinema use returned to the property under a new operator.
2022
Property acquisition by Kohan Retail Investment GroupM&ABackground
Brass Mill Center underwent an ownership transition amid continuing changes in the enclosed-mall sector and tenant turnover at the property.
Action taken
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Brass Mill Center on April 19, 2022.
Aftermath
The property continued operating under its new owner while replacing departing tenants and repositioning parts of the complex.
Acquisition price. $44.9 million (April 19, 2022)
1997
Develop a replacement regional mallStrategyBackground
Waterbury required a major retail redevelopment after the aging Naugatuck Valley Mall had become less suitable as the area’s principal shopping destination.
Action taken
A new, large-scale mall and associated retail complex were built on a remediated site near Interstate 84, and key Naugatuck Valley Mall anchors relocated to the new property.
Aftermath
Brass Mill Center opened in 1997 and the former Naugatuck Valley Mall was demolished in 1999.
Reported development cost. $160 million (At development and opening)
Sources2 sources
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