From city Communications Director Brett Broesder:
On Saturday, Mayor Bill Finch will celebrate the grand opening of Knowlton Park. He’ll be joined by elected officials and community leaders.
Located at 405 Knowlton Street on the site that was previously home to the Acme Sheer Company, the new park includes access to the waterfront with a river walkway, a basketball court, and a playground.
Ø Click here for Before Photos: bit.ly/1FBC5IB
Ø Click here for recent photos of Knowlton Park: bit.ly/1EZIhcD
“We’ve renovated and created over 100 acres of parkland, and we’re just getting started. Knowlton Park has already made a significant impact on this neighborhood, serving as a catalyst for a nicer community, thriving businesses, higher quality of life in the neighborhood, and giving hardworking Bridgeporters long overdue access to the waterfront,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “This park is an investment in our future and in our children as we continue to make Bridgeport a place where families choose to raise their kids and grandkids.”
Bridgeport is called the Park City, and it wants to make sure it’s living up to its name while improving the quality of life for its residents. Bridgeport is creating new parks and revitalizing old ones to give kids cleaner air to breathe and to revitalize neighborhoods.
Living up to its name as the Park City isn’t just so Bridgeport kids have cleaner air to breathe, it also makes sound economic sense. A recent study found that Bridgeport parks serve as a catalyst for neighborhoods, attracting investments and economic development. That’s a tangible win/win for families, businesses and the city.
Mitchell Clyne, of Fairfield, who owns property across the street from Knowlton Park, said he’s thrilled with the change in the neighborhood, long characterized by industrial buildings and warehouses. “When we first bought here six years ago, that entire park was overgrown with weeds, garbage and a beat-up fence,” he said. “It was kind of scary.” Today, he said, the park has given the street a different feel. “You can see people when they get home from work, they take the dogs and go right to the park,” he said.
So there you have it folks, a Fairfield resident who purchased property across from Knowlton who says the park renovations indicates they are going to the dogs. Anybody provide an “all in” assessment of the dollars “invested” by Mayor Finch over the past two terms in converting this piece of land from taxpaying or potentially so into a neighborhood park? With a corps of workers there this past week to get it ready for the dedication there are operational expenses for adding or renovating 100 acres of land in the Park City. But what are the expenses? Where are they mentioned before the initiatives are begun? Where does the City Council get to monitor those dollars? How much of this or any of the projects has been farmed out to outside contractors and at what expense? Why is this administration so strong on the vision and activity thing but so unwilling to provide full fiscal data? If the City were getting better every day in the “fiscally green” department, wouldn’t we be hearing about it from Tom Sherwood, Ann Kelly-Lenz, all the public relations and campaign staffers? Who’s talking about costs, expenses, real estate owned by the City that is not generating taxes, and the dollar values of all of these subjects? I love green and spend free time in the garden, but I also know the costs I must pay to make the improvements. Isn’t it time to report more fully on the use of taxpayer money? Time will tell.
Will hazmat suits be given on site, or must one bring their own?
BYO.
Quality of life issues. Check! Nice park for the “PARK CITY,” I am sure the neighborhood appreciates it.
First off, the PR guy should try telling the truth. The before picture with the exception of Finch’s photo are not of the old Acme Shear factory being torn down. The buildings being torn down in these photos are on the next block.
BTW why wasn’t this site remediated?
So it could glow in the dark–DUH!
Would you eat a sandwich in this park?
If it were a Lobster roll from the Knowlton Fish Market, yes!
Excellent way to die happy.
Yes, and Jennifer you can bring me a cookie. I totally love these quality of life issues. Down the road we will remember who brought back our Park City image! If the park glows in the dark, how cool is that!!!
Yes, because building a public park on a toxic waste site brings quality of life to a new level of urban cosmetic coverup.
Exactly! The truth, over the years don’t you wish they would have knocked down all those toxic buildings lining 95 and built glow-in-the-dark parks? I wonder what sites in urban America have been built on toxic waste dump sites before we knew what toxic waste was and how to test for it.
It’s sad when Sen. Blumenthal makes it to the Mayor’s event before the Mayor. Late for his own party yet again.
Even the Democrats are not sure if Blumenthal shows up for the parade, or if he shows up and the parade is then built around him.