Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim delivered his twentieth State of the City address at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater on May 22, organized by the Bridgeport Regional Business Council.
Ganim joked that the presence of Shelton Mayor Mark Moretti prevented him from claiming to have set a record with his eight terms in office since Moretti was the actual record holder. He framed the city as having successfully continued down the path that he laid out during his address the previous year.
“Last year I laid out a three-part vision for how we move Bridgeport forward and make it a better place for residents and businesses,” Ganim said. “The three pillars for this vision for a better Bridgeport include: One, growth and development. Two, better quality of life. And three, fiscal stability.”
“I have to say that this framework has really helped me, and my administration take a focused approach to Bridgeport’s greatest challenges and best opportunities for the future.”
Ganim highlighted several major developments happening across the city, including mixed use development The August, located just across Northpoint Harbor from the Amphitheater. He touted the 420 new apartments, 160 of which will be designated workforce housing, 10,000 square feet of retail, and a host of other amenities designed to make it the tip of the spear for a revitalized Steelpointe and waterfront.
“This is only the first phase of a $620 million project that will transform the Bridgeport waterfront,” Ganim said, adding that 20 banks from across the country had bid on the latest round of funding for the development.
Ganim praised the Bridgeport Port Authority for building infrastructure that can support the construction of a new highspeed ferry terminal.
“The goal is to bring high speed ferry service from Bridgeport to Manhattan,” Ganim said. “In this past year, thanks to our legislative delegation and the support of Governor Lamont we were able to secure almost $23 million from the Community Investment Fund grant, the largest ever awarded by the state.”
He claimed that a deal was in the works to finally bring down the PSEG-owned coal-fired power plant that has long defined the Bridgeport skyline and loomed over the Amphitheater when it was still the home of the Bluefish minor league baseball team.
Ganim said the deal could “bring that down within 36 months, opening up another 33 acres of waterfront development.”
He also reminded the audience that the city would soon host CT United, a new Major League Soccer team, to be sited in a proposed stadium to be built along the Pequonnock River, comprising 15 acres, a project which garnered an investment of $8 million from the state.
Ganim made the case that owing to investments in amenities including new attractions, infrastructure, and efforts to expand road repair projects the city had become a more desirable place to live, attracting thousands of new housing units.
He highlighted several new projects across the city, including the redevelopment of a former AT&T tower that is planned to also host the city’s first rooftop dining establishment alongside 80 housing units and an art gallery. Additionally, Ganim mentioned several other developments, including the historic Remington factory redevelopment which will preserve the historic Shot Tower.
“As we strive to meet the huge demand for housing in the region we prioritize the construction of affordable housing in our city,” said Ganim. “Earlier this year I signed an executive order directing our city to work towards a goal of constructing over 5,000 new housing units throughout the city by the year 2030.”
Ganim described mixed use developments such as Honey Locust Square, which will feature services including a bank, grocery store, library, and medical facilities as key to bringing needed access to underserved communities.
The goal of making the city a destination for arts and culture was reiterated, but Ganim also discussed new manufacturing and industrial work across the city. North Sails and Bridgeport Boat Works carry on Bridgeport’s maritime tradition while he welcomed the arrival of McBride Electric in the East End, the state’s first minority owned fuel cell power plant.
Ganim extended a special welcome to Nanoramic Laboratories.
“Nanoramic Laboratories has invested close to $100 million in partnership with the United States Department of Energy to bring its lithium-ion semiconductor segment to Bridgeport. This project alone will create 200 new jobs in the park city while also complimenting the educational opportunities such as the University of Bridgeport School of Engineering,” Ganim said.
In addition to listing schools in the process of being built or renovated across the city, projects with bonds of around $100 million since 2015, Ganim announced efforts to promote education beyond primary and secondary education.
“We’re moving forward with a commitment of over $1 million of seed money funding for a program called Bridgeport Promise to provide college scholarships to qualified Bridgeport students to help eliminate financial barriers to higher education,” said Ganim. “The children of Bridgeport should have the same opportunities as children anywhere, they should be able to go to college. This could go a long way to doing that.”
Ganim closed by focusing on his third pillar, fiscal responsibility. He said that after taking office with a $20 million deficit that the city now has a $45 million rainy day fund, A and A+ credit ratings from the major agencies, all while adding new tax rebates.
“Therefore my friends,” Ganim said, “I am proud to report that the state of our city is strong, and with your help and support it will continue to reach for growth, development, better quality of life, and business stability, we’re building a promising future, and I can say our best days are yet to come.”
