More than 30 units of housing, many overlooking McLevy Green, a German-style beer hall and comedy club will anchor the McLevy Square development Downtown. City and State officials participated in a ribbon cutting on Wednesday.
CT Post Business Editor Hugh Bailey has more:
Almost 10 years after the property changed hands, apartments in a State Street building overlooking McLevy Green in the heart of downtown Bridgeport are almost ready for occupancy.
The McLevy Square development by Darien-based Forstone Capital will bring new residents to the neighborhood and, just as importantly, give them something to do, with a comedy club and beer hall looking to begin operations in the coming months.
“I find it exciting as a downtown resident,” Mayor Joe Ganim said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday. “It’s another step, but an important one, in the fabric of the city, but more importantly the downtown.”
The $18 million project features 32 one- and two-bedroom units, each one distinct in layout or other details. Many overlook McLevy Green, with oversize windows allowing for plenty of natural light. Each unit includes a washer and dryer, air conditioning and dishwasher along with granite countertops.
Full story here.
Excellent!More housing, more support for the new venues and hopefully two 18 story High rise buildings adding to the Life of Downtown- Finally, entertainment at the heart hopefully luring Young professionals to the downtown that can afford to support those that have waited decades for support of their business. Housing ,Housing, Housing! Keep it coming and hopefully Steelepointe can connect to downtown and bring back the heart of the city!
With all of this new downtown Bridgeport housing going on, where are the residents going to park? Or for that matter, where are the customers going to park?
The last time I visited downtown Bridgeport was to go to Trattoria A Vuchella on Fairfield Ave, and I got a $60 parking ticket for over-staying by ten minutes !!!!
So far, most of the downtown Bridgeport new venues along Fairfield Ave have come and gone due to lack of parking or costly parking and the nighttime reputation that still pervades.
The parking process has changed. Four hours at a time allowed. Meters in use 8AM to 6 PM Monday to Friday. New signage on the meters!! Improved from two to four hours possible. Still $1 per hour. No fees on Holidays and weekends.
Still trying to figure how $60 was the expense for 10 minutes but I do not wish to be an apologist for meter fever. Enough. More vino. Time will tell.
“Twenty-five of the 32 units qualify as affordable housing with restricted income guidelines”. In other words, government subsidized – Section 8. That’s real progress.
the mix of affordable housing and “market” pricing will not work. It is the kiss of death. We are seeing this same pattern in many “redevelopments” in Bridgeport(to gain access to govt funding). You can excuse me but standard market/price renters/leasers don’t want to live within affordable housing.It is the kiss of death. All of these mixed affordable housing and standard market place prices will fail,will become 100% affordable housing and you can go figure out the rest!
Downtown Bridgeport is on a slow road to revitalization. A beer hall, a comedy club and apartments overlooking scenic McLevy Green are all fine a pd good but Pavlick is right to ask about parking. There are no municipal lots downtown. The businesses drawn by promises of rapid gentrification do not last because there is no demand for high end and boutique goods and services.