Building permits have been filed to start construction of Bass Pro Shops as the anchoring tenant on the Steel Point redevelopment area first proposed 30 years ago to revitalize the East Side. Officials say construction will begin within 30 days.
From CT Post:
“Vertical construction” on the Bass Pro Shops that is the centerpiece of the long-awaited Steelpointe Harbor development will begin “within the next 30 days,” a city official said Thursday.
Adam Wood, chief of staff for Mayor Bill Finch, said that the concrete pad for the 150,000 square-foot store has been readied, and the various city permits needed to build it have been filed.
Developer Robert Christoph Sr., principal of Bridgeport Landing Development, has said that he anticipates a grand opening in the fall of 2015.
Full story.
Sad news.
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Pedestrian-critical-after-being-hit-by-car-5705947.php
Citizens of the State and Park City, grab your wallets. The overruns and subsidies will soon be coming.
Our State legislators had better get out in front on this one, we’re about to bond $22 Million, and Bass Pro Shops won’t return phone calls?
Finch projected Bass Pro would break ground in 2013. Now it’s after his reelection Nov. 2015.
Christoph, however, seems correct in his analysis. On March 24, Connecticut Innovations, an arm of the state’s economic development agencies, is expected to give final approval to issuing $22 million in state bonds to help build Bass Pro’s 150,000-square-foot store.
The deal has already been approved by the state Legislature and the State Bond Commission.
CT Post 3/11/14
“And once the bonds are issued, you obviously want construction to start not long after because … the money’s ready to go,” said Antonio Roberto, managing director of strategic investments at Connecticut Innovations. “We wouldn’t want to issue bonds and just have the money sit out there.”
Bass Pro has walkrd away from other Cities like Buffalo NY, at a cost of $30 Million.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ME9hH7O9Y
www .youtube.com/watch?v=_Ox1DklmS94
OMG this could possibly be Bridgeport’s worst nightmare. Better just a little grass seed and a rose bush. Perhaps a park bench. Couldn’t we wait for another decade or two for something? Honestly, Bass Pro? Wouldn’t everyone prefer a McDonalds and Burger King? What next, an apartment complex with water views? Better a CVS or Walgreens. I hear they are going to only hire people from Darien and Orange and shuttle them in so no Bridgeporters get a job. I hear they are going to use barn wire fences instead of landscaping, the neighborhood you know. I heard the City is going to lease back some of the land for a dump. Poor Mayor, even he knows maybe five people will shop there and they will close within three months. Why bother, after all this is Bridgeport, the most disgusting armpit in Connecticut.
Excuse me, my rose-colored glasses had shit stains. Now I can see clearly. Congratulations to the City and state for getting the show on the road. I am optimistic there will be other major announcements. This parcel is in a primo location, I’m expecting Capital Grille to open there or people will just drive down the street to discover Dolphins Cove and Pleasure Beach. The future of this city is in the hands of the youth. I hope they are looking and thinking of young and hip in their quest to attract people who will live and shop on this peninsula. I see the lower East main Street enjoying a resurgence as they have the most amazing stock of Victorians in the entire state. There are so many exciting ways to market this. I am very happy for the homeowners in the area. I see the beginning of the City’s rebirth on a mega scale. I do feel bad for those who just can’t stand positive news happening in Bridgeport. It is so much better being on the train and feeling good about the City you live in as opposed to having your foot stuck on the tracks knowing the conductor is doing his happy dance and doesn’t see the black cloud he is about to run over. 🙂
Steve, it takes more than rose-colored glasses to make your remarks. Perhaps we could all use a small dose of whatever it is so we can tolerate what will likely be weekly press releases reminding us how successful this administration is in attracting economic development.
Tom, honest to G-d I think there is something in the vegetables I’m growing. I can’t help it. I see blue skies while everybody else sees shades of gray. 🙂 I’d rather see the world through my eyes of hope than through the eyes of disenchanted, miserable individuals who have a problem with change on all fronts. I think we are a step away from a war and I’ll take good news wherever I can get it.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Bass Pro for discriminatory hiring practices, specifically against black and Hispanic job applicants. It then revised its complaint to include discriminatory hiring practices against Asians and women. The EEOC completed a study that demonstrated Bass Pro’s current employee make-up demonstrated 1,000 FEWER minority employees were employed when compared to other retailers. In addition, the chances of this discrepancy occurring on its own was one in a million. Bass Pro is slated to open in the neighborhoods where we have the largest Hispanic and black populations in Bridgeport. Bass Pro should not be celebrated or praised for coming to Bridgeport, it should be condemned.
New view: Bridgeport is the training ground for a new generation of BASS fisherman. Today, over 50 colleges offer a bass-fishing major–complete with scholarships and product endorsements. It’s a lucrative profession!
www .businessweek.com/articles/2014-08-21/college-bass-fishing-gear-makers-outfit-bass-letes <– read the article and discover why I’m either picking lures or baiting hooks for BillyBob.