A special meeting of the City Council’s Joint Committee on Economic & Community Development & Environment and Contracts will take place on Tuesday, 6 p.m. to consider a tax abatement for a new residential development at Steelpointe Harbor along East Main Street and Stratford Avenue.
For background see here.
Committee members:
City Council Economic & Community Development & Environment: Valle, Burns, Roman-Christy, Lyons, Mack, McBride-Lee, Brown.
Contracts Committee: McCarthy, Herron, Cruz, Roman-Christy, Pereira, Silva, Newton.
This meeting will be conducted by Zoom/Teleconference. The public may listen by calling the following conference line and then entering the conference code:
Dial-in Number#: (929) 436-2866
Meeting ID#: 892 679 085
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Giving a tax break to Bridgeport Landing would be like paying today for a job that’ll take ten years to complete! It also means amending an agreement whose ink has dried. CC, you have leverage — use it.
We’ve all heard about “pay to play” in Bridgeport, but this proposal is worse. It means “pay-(them)-to-stay” .
How about a performance-based tax break? As in, you build the hotel and luxury housing you say you’re gonna build and then we’ll pay you — sometimes called a balloon payment. Right now, a hostage situation exists.
But Ernie is awe-struck. He’s thunderstruck. He sounds like he’s on their payroll. Anyone can give it away! I think Ernie should straighten his back, stand tall and stop kow-towing to those who seek a tax break.
Besides, what’s good for Steelpointe is bad for the 139th district for the next ten years. I encourage Ernie Newton to put his taxpaying constituents before his proposed tax abatement. Can you serve two masters? Ask Ernie.
Even if you’re pro-tax break, it’s not too late to change your mind. Here’s why you should:
The status quo is fantastic.
If CC denies the abatement and Steelpointe development doesn’t proceed, Bridgeport gains. Here’s why:
The contract soon becomes void and legalities begin.
Bridgeport now has a shovel-ready project — the kind that attracts developers fast.
Bridgeport now has a marina, a boardwalk and a reason to charge rent — instant income!
Bridgeport now has acres of undeveloped waterfront and a poker hand (position) worth millions!
LE, Ernie wants to be accepted into the mainstream and happy to sell-out his taxpaying constituents of the 139th.
400 units of market rate housing in Bridgeport should also include affordable housing for his District!
Steal Pointe for sure!
LE..I get what you’re saying,but let’s just say the CC says no to the tax breaks and the project doesn’t go forward,the present developers and the city end up in court for what may be years,and NOTHING gets built,and no tax(not even a reduced rate) gets paid,what purpose does that serve?…you say “Bridgeport now has a shovel-ready project — the kind that attracts developers fast.”..yes,it would attract developers,that would also want abatements to do buisness here..
There is no choice at this point..
Once the contact is voided, progress can continue — it’s Bridgeport’s land and the CC will see their standing, exposure and power rise. The rules will change fast — all in Bridgeport’s favor.
Just because a hostage situation exists doesn’t mean Bridgeport’ City Council is willing to pay the specified ransom!
I had the pleasure of sitting on the Fairfield’s Affordable Housing Task Force for seven years, the State of Connecticut demanded that new development should include 10% affordable housing.
400 units of market rate housing in Bridgeport should also include affordable housing.
Market rate housing is never affordable,
Hey! Ernie Newton “the cobbler’s children have no shoes” !
WOW!!!!! Local Eye and Jimfox have got this exactly right, the CC will do what the City Attorney tells them to do and they will do what Mario Testa and Mayor Joe Ganim want, right Ernie. This is Bridgeport where you pay to play just follow the money. As Jimfox said, “market rate housing is never affordable.” What’s the difference between affordable housing rate and market housing rate?
Market-rate housing should be distinguished from affordable housing, which is housing available at rents and prices below the market rate, usually defined relative to the income level of residents. … In many places in the country, more and more market-rate housing is, in effect, luxury housing.
Why is affordable housing an issue?
Severe cost-burdened renters are spending over half of their income on housing. The lack of adequate affordable housing has a host of negative effects on communities. Housing cost-burdened families experience greater stress relating to food security, health care, retirement, transportation and overall social stability.Sep 7, 2021
Jimfox, thanks and that should be a top concern for Ernie for his district but not Ernie he’s concern is what is good for Ernie, Bridgeport is a majority a black and brown city with NO POWER and they are being left out of this deal. White out of towner’s are buying up the portion of where they were they were residing. Moses of his people is leading them right into the sea, thanks Ernie, there’s no pomise land for of your district.
Think about the future.
It’s easier to deny a tax break for the few than explain an automatic tax increase to the many.
Power isn’t granted — it’s taken.
Take it.
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
― Frederick Douglass
Humans differentiate themselves from other species by their ability to work miracles .
For example, it would be a miracle if a struggling city like Bridgeport gave a ten-year, multi-million dollar tax abatement to wealthy developers who weren’t able to “make the numbers work” without it.
City Council.: save your miracles for later — you might need them.