A boutique hotel planned for Downtown by the wealthy founders of the civic group Bridgeport Generation Now and framed as “giving back” to the community in a story by the Connecticut Post is being power washed in the comments section of ex City Councilwoman Jazmarie Melendez’s Facebook page as disingenuous pandering for community plaudits.
Callie and Niels Heilmann, an ex portfolio manager residing in Black Rock, intense critics of tax breaks issued by local and state government but receiving, according to the story, a state “exemption on sales and use taxes valued at up to $500,000 in redeveloping the property as a hotel” haven’t curried much favor for the declaration.
They’re investing in Bridgeport. Much success, live it up, hope you make fortunes. But to call it giving back? No, giving back would be to needy social services organizations, non-profits, scholarship programs for kids.
Okay, they see Bridgeport as a wise investment, a boutique hotel at the ready for the thousands attending concerts and events at the 10,000-seat arena and 6,000-seat amphitheater just blocks from the Cannon Street destination. But, it’s like waving pompoms. “Isn’t it so wonderful what we’re doing for Bridgeport?”
They’ve also been highly critical of the slow pace of Ganim administration projects. Okay, fair enough. Yet, they’ve been touting this project for two years and now project a 2027 opening. So, that will be four years in the making, if it happens.
A sampling from JM’s Facebook page. (Good for you, building a following.)
Kate Rivera
I don’t know why it’s framed as giving back to the community. It’s economic development and it will generate jobs. Personally, I’m looking forward to having a rooftop space.
Alexander Tiva Taubes
Jazmarie Melendez state capitalism — getting public money ($500,000 tax exemption) to subsidize private profit ($200+ per night for “tourism”). Tourism is low wage economic development btw
Fabio Mazo
These the same ppl that run generation now and claim they love Bridgeport but never make it past downtown or black rock.. lol
Author
Jazmarie Melendez
Fabio Mazo I guess we finally agree on something
that part!! Living in a mansion in Black Rock and acting like they know what is best for Bridgeport.
Lillie Ennis ·
I have a question and it’s for educational purposes not with malice. Is the trigger here “giving back”. I ask because when I first saw this I thought – how nice that people want to open business here in Bridgeport. But now I’m looking at your comment and my question is- is it everyone’s responsibility that wants to do business in Bridgeport to fix the needs of the city in regards to affordable housing, community spaces, etc ?
Author
Jazmarie Melendez
Lillie Ennis I do think the way that the article was crafted around the idea of “giving back” is inaccurate because there’s a difference between community wealth building and economic development within the city. The two individuals who will be operating this development have monopolized the “grassroots” organizing space in Bridgeport as extremely wealthy individuals which is my main issue with this.
William Stevenson
They obviously haven’t been looking at downtown Hartford
. Turning a downtown into a tourist area has destroyed our downtown area. Downtown is so gentrified its beyond help at this point. If any developers plan was to ever give back to the community they wouldn’t be doing it to draw “tourism”. They would have done it for Bridgeport residents.
I remember when most of downtown’s stores were operated by actual Bridgeport residents. Even the few that lived in NY made sure Bridgeport residents could afford their products and catered to what Bridgeport residents wanted. Only grassroots non-profits give back to their community. Buying hotels and stores using grant money with the intent to profit and catering to “tourists” is the exact opposite of non-profit. Hence the word “non-profit”.
Alexander Tiva Taubes
Giving back to the community is getting a $500,000 exemption from sales and use tax from the state. We can’t get people’s tuition or health care debt paid but the state can give a half a million dollar tax break to a second generation business owner who wants to open a boutique hotel. Ok
Joe Sokol
Not typical wealth. Strong proponents for true public schools. Opponents of racism, bias inequities. Always outspoken and against the corruption of the city. Good people.
Joe Gotta Go
Jazmarie Melendez what did you accomplish on the CC? you brought nothing but chaos, placing many in danger.
You should focus on clearing your own problems first before attacking individuals who care about this community and trying to move the community forward with a solution to bring life and money to down town.
Not everyone lives on public assistance.
Author
Jazmarie Melendez
Joe Gotta Go your a troll on a fake page what are YOU doing for the city of Bridgeport, you can start by actually standing on your opinions instead of hiding
and based on your comments I know exactly how YOU see the Bridgeport community so bye
Author
Jazmarie Melendez
Joe Gotta Go And what’s sadder is that you are Puerto Rican who is racist and wasting time putting another bori down in support of capitalism.
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Joe Sokol
Janette Adams-Orengo umm we have zero hotels and I believe this is being built without a 70 year tax break like Stolen Pointe developers are getting.
Dom La Brown
I always worry about disconnect when it comes to development in any urban city. I guess two things can be true, the intent may be well. BUT the disconnect is loud.
Before I get started, there’s one thing you should know about me. I don’t like bully’s #roof-top bar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1570cN1h5w
I got your back, Mama Bear LV. 🤣
Is Taste the Movement, Breath of Fresh Air, a “Disingenuous” political organization, without a doubt. 🙂
Is there any of y’all Port Pols/advocate/groups/organizations not “disingenuous” Nope. 🙂
To be fair, the article was framed as a community give by the rag-tag Ct-Post with it editorial “bullying” righty. 🙂
Did you see what I did there people? 🤣
That being said, Do hate the player, hate the game, as they say. Perhaps this is playing/part of the game.
Any business owner knows , particularly in the food and hospitality comes with financial risks, and they try to lower/off-set that risk with government funding that is a potential partner/investor.
Speaking of the game, a 7000 page environmental soil impact analysis? Jesus Christ Gold Coast/ Harford. 🙂
One, with a pie and bar charts “soil bad” Remove, Cap and resurface top layer.” 🙂
Think about it. The prophet, AI-ish 🙂
Try to play nice,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34RojXNAqXE
Hartford put a baseball stadium smack dab in the middle of downtown Hartford. Going to one of those games reminded me of the old days when Bridgeport had a baseball stadium. I know that Bridgeport Bluefish lacked the support it needed to be sustainable. That being said, If your going to draw any type of convention, or NCAA Basketball tournament you need hotel rooms. Bridgeport never got the memo, going all the way back to knocking down the Days , Closing down the Holiday Inn and turning it into apartments. Finally investors like the Heilmans saw an opportunity , lets face it they may not call themselves capitalists but the money comes from Wall Street, not Main Street. You want to call it Wall street helping Main Street, that is a great way to frame it, Giving back, sounds good too, and what is wrong with making some $$ in this country? I actually like Nells and Calli, , a hotel with a rooftop bar and a speak easy with awesome food from a local chef sounds like a great way to create something pretty awesome . A hotel is a step in the right direction, one more at Steel point and we are rolling.
So you can never ever satisfy everyone,its impossible. They are doing a great thing for the city and for their pockets and THAT’S GREAT. I DON’T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT A PERSON WHO GREW UP IN BPT STEPPED UP. In my opinion The Blue fish went to scrap because it was independent baseball not affiliated with a team. The Blue fish worked in 1920 but not in this day and age.
It would be “disingenuous” of me to not part take in the generated tread created by the rag-tag CT Post, who framed this development as a give back to the community. 🙂
#badabingstyle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sip5TgdAcV4
Click count , John?
Of course you can’t please everyone particularly in Port politics. That’s because it’s “‘disingenuous” to say the least. Pun intended. 🤣
Port politics is a sport. Each with their own supported fan base who wrap themselves round the flag of “for the community”
Shit, it’s a blood sport. Our Host words, who knows a bit about Port politics ” Port politics it’s a rat nest”, Perhaps by design.
Free Maria, and the rest of the AB gang. like you overloud Martinez transgression 🙂
https://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/watch-city-council-censures-defiant-pereira-for-vitriolic-language-calling-chief-porter-a-pig-stripped-of-committee-assignments-debate/
I wish I did more with my life, #bestESLclassever. 🙂
PS I it jsut me are does anybody else see a “disingenuous” prosecution in this AB saga/game?
https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/13/ct-bridgeport-election-absentee-ballots-wanda-geter-pataky/
Can OIB try for a month, a week, or even a day to limit the use of the word ‘disingenuous’ ? For those who look it up, one finds that the word is an adjective, a modifier for a noun often, and defined as ‘having secret motives; insincere’. It is not positive, but it adds nothing to a discussion, in my opinion, to use it as a mantra.
Since the City has maintained a sign welcoming drivers to the City from westbound I95 that professes: LODGING for G2 years, is that a lie, an oversight, or a wish for the future, in your book? Is it “disingenuous”? Or acknowledgement that things do not progress readily in the City in actuality. If they did OIB would celebrate newfound rapidity, I suggest.
The couple in question likely are wealthier than average, but how is what they have already invested at issue? No tax break there. Making an investment with their own money, skin in the game, at a location that offers something not enjoyed in the largest City in the state, at this moment, overnight accomodations of a different style from what Marriott will likely offer. Perhaps Bridgeport will attract folks who will pursue New England travel in a more unique venue? How many readers and responders see this project as ‘gentrification’ rather than an appeal to a more affluent group of travelers who while they stop, will stop at the Barnum, do a walking visit to where Lincoln spoke, or where Borglum sculpted fountains, or other sites with quality history behind them? Or just ascend to the rooftop bar to have a dring and think?
Any narrative needs a ‘slant’, something to intrigue a reader. But if one cannot consider that enjoying restoring a structure might be fun to some, doing something that is needed in the City is another possible motive, and trying to make your wealth grow just as your family is growing up is a common purpose may be more complex than the CT Post had room to accomodate in their story.
Learning the history of the building and the potential reuse as a for profit business with employees without a grant, imagine all the possible details perhaps before acting out other stories in your opinion closet and damning a new effort in Bridgeport. Patience or purpose may be better words to understand downtown projects these days. Time will tell.
John, John, John, are you being “disingenuous” 🙂
Are you saying Mama Bear, LV is a victim of that CRT/white supremacy thing, Ironic, no?
I mean the fact we are not reading about Martinez in the rag-tag Ct Post, who was not rounded up in that AB dragnet. Perhaps by design, says how much of a shit shows Port’s political show/game is, no?
Granted not sure what Wanda was thinking when she was conducting her AB operational game. But they made her and the streets walk the perp-walk twice. You have to assume any trial is going to be shit show, freak show. from the fan bases/perspective, Particular Wanda’s fan base, the Black community. Which is why Gen Now comes off as, well, “disingenuous” with their undoing racism workshops.
Though to be fair perhaps theirs something to it to be said, but that pendulum swings both and in every “community” particularly when it comes to politics and its racial identity. I mean, two very different reactions between Floyd’s and Tyler’s deaths at the hands of the police, Yet no one seems to care or finds a problem with it.
When you have CC Cruz posting things like white people are the problem. You have to question is it the white person saying white people are the problem, the white person being told by another white person, white people are the problem or the Latino saying, posting white people are the problem. Mama Bear, LV sign, WEEP CC Cruz up for one of your undoing racism work shops. 🤣
To be fair to WEEP, or Not, depending on you you want/able to decode it. WEEP discontent for white people my stems form a white person (G2) choosing a black person (Porter) over a Latino (Garcia) and that content my be enhanced to deflect form his inner, you know over support of Garcia over Porter. Sign him up Mama Bear, LV
BTW, Mama Bear, you can do math, do you do the math that you a victim of your whiteness, #I ironic. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obnODOdLD7k
There was more, but lets leave some for the imagination. Pivot Port, Pivot 🙂
Though I am some what sadden they pull Barnum Sail the Sound to the Port’s Jazz fest.
At any rate, Happy Labor Day. SMH
John. L always pleasure. Peace out the best ESL class ever, 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz_NxOF7RB4
I can’t depart the best ESL class without the Prophet.
But first it might have been “disingenuous” to “frame” WEEP as racist. Racism should not be confused with inclination. Perhaps his discontent for Porter, or should I say “G2”s pick over Garcia stems more from his inclination to “identify” with Garcia over identifying with Porter.
His discontent, racism for G2’s racism perhaps stems from the inherent corruption that is Port Politics then is hatred for G2, by extension white people/Trump,. I mean there was a time WEEP viewed G2 as the best. I shit you not people. 🤣
So it could be a push. Sign him up anyway Mama Bear LV, just in case. You don’t want to get behind in the count. Gen Now saving Port souls while “giving back to the community with a roof-top bar. 😇
Good job Port politics, you put more strikes on people and seeded more corrupted souls than that holy water bowl in Catholic Churches without chlorine. 🙃
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz_NxOF7RB4
I said it once and I’ll say it again. I am not racist, because hate all y’all F-ing heathens, I’m kidding. My apologies, I love all you fabulous F-ing heathens.
Happy Labor Day, Enjoy the day off from work. Relax, meditate, read a book. John L any recommendations ? 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73a2TLm7bR0
My bad
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1833737683871953
Try to play nice, you “disingenuous” heathens. 🤣
The Prophet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73a2TLm7bR0
my apologies, 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpTlS2vcWwM
Social Capitalists
Lenny, Jazzmarie does not understand how city economics works and obviously hates Callie and Niels As do you Lenny as I sense from all your numerous blog articles against them and Bridgeport Generation Now.
However, they’re willing to put up their money to build what will be the ONLY hotel in the biggest city in the state. It serves the community by bringing people here to spend the night and spend money supporting local business. That is what developers do.
With their ten year old community group Bridgeport Generation Now they are also strong proponents for public schools, food and environmental justice, getting out the vote and anti-racism. Most importantly they and BGN are always, consistently outspoken critic sagainst the corruption of the city.