Bridgeport City Council committee approves Harbor Yard Amphitheater project

The Bridgeport City Council”™s Contracts Committee voted 4-1 last night to approve the facility development and operating agreement that will transform the Harbor Yard baseball stadium into an amphitheater for live music presentations.

The venue, to be called Harbor Yard Amphitheater, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2019 and will host from 50 to 75 events between April and October. The venue will be converted into a weather-proof facility that can accommodate more than 6,000 seats plus 20 luxury suites and three VIP lounges. The project”™s renovation budget is planned for $15 million, with the city contributing up to $7.5 million and the development company Harbor Yard Amphitheater LLC covering the remainder of the costs, including potential overruns.

A public hearing on the project is scheduled for Oct. 30, and the full City Council is expected to vote on the project on Nov. 6.

Harbor Yard”™s previous occupants, the Bridgeport Bluefish baseball team, will play its 2018 season entirely on the road before moving into its new location in High Point, North Carolina, in 2019.