With Mayor Joe Ganim behind the controls of a Stamford Wrecking demolition truck, city officials on Tuesday began clearance of the vacant United Pattern Company building eyesore on Railroad Avenue in the West End to make way for an extension of New York-based Corvus Capital Management’s Cherry Street Lofts project a block away.
Tenants are now moving into the new Cherry Street apartments reconfigured from a block of blighted factory buildings that includes 140 units and construction of a charter school expected to be completed in the summer of 2019. Most of the housing units have already been rented out, according to Gary Flocco, a principal with Corvus Capital.
“We should’ve built 300 units,” said Flocco.
Cherry Street Lofts project, announced under Ganim’s predecessor Bill Finch, broke ground in December 2016, about a year after Ganim returned to the mayoralty. The project features modern loft-style apartments with studio, one, two and three bedroom units.
In Bridgeport, politics is a contact sport and Ganim relished the opportunity to commence demolition of a building that had been abandoned for decades, particularly one with a blighted view from I-95 approaching Exit 25.
Total site clearance is expected to take a few weeks, according to a Stamford Wrecking official. As Ganim segues into a reelection year with additional thoughts of urban renewal, look for a lot more of him fronting demolition projects.
City development officials Tom Gill and Bill Coleman noted that market conditions have made Bridgeport an attractive location for housing from the pricey units in lower Fairfield County.
LOL@ Joe trying anything to look engaged in Bpt,for 18 months he couldn’t be found in Bpt,now that he got trounced trying to be governor,and he still doesn’t have his law license,he’s desperate for a job again.Look for Joe to be “announcing”big development projects(which will never come to fruition btw),and also look for him to be anywhere a camera is for the next year.
Hey Joe,you fooled us twice now,you’re out of chances.
I agree with Harvey.
Totally ignoring him in that picture and enjoying that building coming down…….FINALLY…………by the way, I can think of a few more…lol
He practiced in the sandbox.
Thank you Mayor Finch!
For his uncanny combination of sound judgement, correct attribution and reckless behavior, I nominate Jimfox as OIB blogger of the day. Only 1 can be the best.
“…Total site clearance is expected to take a few weeks, according to a Stamford Wrecking official…”
Bridgeport doesn’t have a company that could have handled that demolition?
down county dominates Bridgeport demolition, too.
I thought the exact same thing
Maybe Stamford wrecking gives out cases of wine to win the bid?
Little Joe in the crane reminds me of the memes of Donald Trump in the little toy car.
That wasn’t a photo-op, that was a job audition.
I echo the comments above when I say I am glad to see the building come down. I was driving southbound on I-95 this morning and saw it and thought to myself, “Wow, that’s nice that that building is finally coming down.” I was also pleasantly surprised to see the loft expanding as well. Nice that the view from I-95 is getting better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js_s-CkdUCc
It happened in Bridgeport: https://westfaironline.com/109014/bridgeport-innovation-center-sold-for-7-9-million/
This isn’t just a swap. It’s an injection of capital that brings a new partner. It’s about time (wink).
What gets demolished is indirectly replaced. Same day service.
Cheer up! Bridgeport is having a good day.
So now that we’re replacing all of the remaining industrial space in the West End with workforce housing for Stamford, and accomplishing the necessary demolitions (and construction?!) using Stamford companies (it’s only right!), we should probably plan on tripling the size of the New Bassick High School in order to accommodate all of the future students that will need high school diplomas for their low-wage, commuter-jobs in Stamford…
Actually Stamford Wrecking/Standard Demolition owns a sizeable shop and yard on Bostwick Ave which can be seen from 95 directly across the highway from this site.
How convenient! On a former factory site, no doubt… (A temporary situation as they pursue the demolition of Bridgeport?) And their high-value HQ is in Bridgeport paying Bridgeport taxes? And they employ how many Bridgeport residents?
Thank you,Mayor Bill Finch.
Vroom vroom, Little Joe. Get down with your bad self.