The board of Connecticut’s Community Investment Fund (CIF) approved the City of Bridgeport’s full request of $22 million for the demolition and abatement of the former PSEG Harbor Station coal plant.
The facility was decommissioned in 2021 and the site is no longer zoned for industrial usage. The Bridgeport city government is seeking the abatement and demolition of the structure – which is highly recognizable along the shoreline with its red and white striped smokestack – with the goal of remediation at the site and development for either commercial or housing purposes.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim said the new funding “will not only address a major environmental justice issue in our city, but help prepare Bridgeport’s waterfront for transformational economic development.”
PSEG, which still owns the site, did not say what it planned to do with the property after the plant was taken down. However, the company issued a statement that said, “We welcome the Community Investment Fund’s announcement and look forward to continuing to work with the State of Connecticut, the Lamont administration, the state legislative leadership and the City of Bridgeport.”
Photo courtesy PSEG
