Photo by Justin McGown.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim gave his State of the City speech on Sept. 7 before an audience of business professionals, spiritual leaders, first responders and others.
Ganim’s speech was dubbed “A New Buzz, A New Beat”and was presented at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater ”” a fitting choice of venue according to Howard Saffan, president of the Amphitheater.
“It came up recently that the mayor wanted to host an event here and I said, ”˜Why not?'”said Saffan. “This is the shining example of having faith in the city of Bridgeport, backed by the city council, but more importantly the mayor of this city. This has been a vision of ours for over nine years but frankly with the support of Mayor Ganim this wouldn’t be anything. This is the renaissance of Bridgeport.”
Ganim began by showing the audience the latest advertisement his office has produced to promote the city and the Sound on Sound festival. According to Ganim, even more impressive than the video was the cross section of the city’s diversity reflected in those gathered for the speech, including both his parents and those on the Bridgeport Regional Business Council he has worked closely with.
“You know, it’s been three years since I last delivered a State of the City address,”Ganim observed. “And it’s amazing how much the world and our city have changed since then. I’ll never forget, it was March 16, 2020, the day I had to issue an executive order to close city government, implement a mask mandate and urge people to shelter in place.”
“I can remember few times that were as unsettling and uncertain,”Ganim added while recalling the impact that the pandemic had on local businesses and the immense strain felt by hospitals and healthcare providers. “But now, looking back over these past two years, I have to tell you I am so proud of the city of Bridgeport’s response to the pandemic and the extraordinary efforts, especially of our frontline workers.”
Ganim praised those who worked to provide supplies, services, support and vaccines to the public. He noted that he took it upon himself to provide updates via social media about Covid statistics and the latest guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The mayor called for a round of applause for members of the Bridgeport Health Department, frontline workers, public health nurses and first responders in attendance for the event.
Ganim directed gratitude to Capitol Hill as well, saying “In response to the economic devastation that the pandemic caused, mayors such as myself advocated for direct funding for our cities to address the great challenge. As a result, Congress passed what was called the American Rescue Plan. This was the first time that I can remember where the federal government gave this amount of funding directly to cities like Bridgeport.”
“I feel comfortable speaking on behalf of all mayors when I say that we are grateful for these resources that were given to us by our federal partners,”he added. “And as we welcomed the passage of the American Rescue Plan and the much-needed relief that brought, we took the obligation to be good stewards of these funds very seriously and put that money to work in the community as fast as we could.”
Ganim highlighted grants to small businesses for expansion and store-front improvements as one of the success stories to emerge from the pandemic ”” 400 Bridgeport businesses collectively were awarded more than $5 million in grants, while over $30 million was provided to nonprofits. Ganim noted that despite the pandemic the city has both grown and made progress toward reaching goals, which he said truly mattered to residents.
“The state of our city is strong, and Bridgeport is stronger and more vibrant than ever before because of all of you working together,”he declared.
As for the future, Ganim highlighted efforts to build on prior successes in positioning the city as a “mecca for music”and responsible development to account for the fact that while many cities in the Northeast have a decreasing population Bridgeport continues to gain new residents. That population growth has led to increased demand for housing.
“As the last census demonstrates Bridgeport has seen a higher-than-average growth in population compared to the rest of the state,”Ganim said. “I’m pleased to report there’s a substantial amount of investment happening throughout the city to address housing these needs.”
Ganim highlighted a $25 million project by Primrose Construction to build around 100 units in downtown, Eastpoint Development’s Spinnaker Point project in Black Rock, and the $75 million 300-unit Campfield Park development, which has already started leasing. Other developments in the South End, including the redevelopment of the Marina Village public housing site into the mixed-income Windward Commons were hailed as important markers of progress as well.
To continue the trend of redevelopment, Ganim pointed to the coal power plant visible across the train tracks from the Amphitheater and declared his intention to remove the “icon of the city’s industrial past”and free up the 30 acres of waterfront property for new purposes.
Ganim also spoke favorably of the decision to sell the Sikorsky Memorial Airport to the state. He described the move as both providing the city with an infusion of cash and positioning Bridgeport to benefit from the airport while Connecticut assumed the costs of operation and used its expertise to attract commercial carriers to the location.
Ganim concluded his remarks by hailing the fact that that the city had simultaneously earned an A+ bond rating, balanced its budget and substantially reduced its mill rate, while also making significant contributions to Bridgeport’s rainy-day fund. The city stands to save millions on financing for future projects as a result, he stated.
Ganim closed by saying, “This is my seventeenth or eighteenth state of the city address. I’ve never felt so optimistic about this city’s future. There’s a new buzz in Bridgeport. Bridgeport’s on the move. Thank you for being part of it and stay tuned, there’s much more to come.”
