Across McLevy Green Downtown, the architecture and engineering firm Fletcher Thompson has relocated back to the city as part of a renovation of the old Mechanics and Farmers building that includes 30 occupied apartments.
City Communications Director Brett Broesder has more:
Fletcher Thompson, a leading architecture and engineering firm that, in 1909, was founded in Bridgeport but moved away in 2002, has officially returned home. The firm moved its new corporate headquarters to Forstone Capital’s Mechanics & Farmers Bank Building (930 Main Street) in downtown Bridgeport, where it is housing nearly 60 new Park City-based jobs.
“We couldn’t be prouder to have Fletcher Thompson returning to its roots in downtown Bridgeport,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “Imagine having a stalwart of the community leave to go to the suburbs, and then return, several years later after seeing the turnaround that’s going on in Bridgeport. That’s exactly what’s happening with Fletcher Thompson. They’re bringing economic investment and jobs into a revitalized building that sits in the heart of our improving downtown.”
Fletcher Thompson has offices in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Florida. The firm currently has more than 100 employees and is looking to expand.
“Bridgeport is our heritage and we’re happy to be back here after being away for more than ten years,” said Mike Marcinek, Managing Partner at Fletcher Thompson. “It’s been a great process getting our new headquarters up and running. It’s also been wonderful creating our own environment in this beautiful building where we are now housing our corporate headquarters. We’re proud to be part of the historic fabric of downtown Bridgeport.”
For video of Fletcher Thompson’s new headquarters, click here bit.ly/1xuB8UE.
Forstone Capital’s Mechanics & Farmers Bank Building initially opened in 1930. The building served as home to Mechanics & Farmers until the bank folded in 1991. More than a decade later, Forstone Capital purchased the building.
As part of Forstone’s renovation of the 40,000 square foot building, they decided to develop the first floor as 25,000 square feet of office space, which is now occupied by Fletcher Thompson. The second and third floors of the building–titled Landmark–consist of 30 new apartments, which are completely occupied.
“As a major stakeholder in the downtown, to have a company like Fletcher-Thompson move into downtown is a great thing,” said Brett Wilderman, Principal at Forstone Capital. “It allows us to move forward with the redevelopment and will put more feet on the street to use the retail operations.”
Hooray for Downtown and Bridgeport as a whole. We need more companies like this making Downtown Bridgeport their home!!!
Ditto.
Having Fletcher-Thompson back in Bridgeport is significant. Forstone Capital is to be recognized for making the numbers work, something other developers have passed on. It remains to be seen if the arrangements for the apartment units will contribute to downtown stabilization. The Mayor is correct in suggesting downtown can be an attractive place to establish an operation. Unfortunately, the numbers rarely work for serious developers and dealing with City of Bridgeport issues causes developers to look elsewhere.
It doesn’t matter if it creates 60 jobs. What matters is how many of the jobs are held by Bridgeport residents. If these jobs benefit residents from Fairfield or Trumbull, it doesn’t help the quality of life of those who are truly vested in Bridgeport 24/7. It only helps those who are vested in Bridgeport 8/5.
Possibly some Bridgeport residents already work for the company. And hopefully there are a few qualified candidates from Bridgeport who can apply for future openings.
It’s nice there is finally something being done about that beautiful building.
HOWEVER, the mechanicals (sewer, electical, water, gas) in Main Street are old, leaky, and need to be completely upgraded. There has been no effort to do this by any entity.
Add to this the lack of parking.
Yes Stevie, I’m a pessimist when it comes to the idiots who run this once-great city. They are inept, clueless, and make all sorts of fiscal mistakes with the taxpayers’ money (never their own money), and the populace keeps voting them into office.
Oh come on Bob, do yourself a favor and ask for a tour. They did an amazing job and the apartments are gorgeous. What a terrific view of McLevy Green.
You didn’t reply to my comment about the 100-year-old mechanicals in Main Street. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is being done about it. There have already been leaks and collapses and only repairs. They must be replaced before serious development can happen.
Stevie, I suggest you get in your car and drive 40 miles down I-95 and see what New Rochelle (a much smaller city) has done with New Roc City. Complete rehab, safe environment after the crime and such at the no longer existent mall there. Once Donald Trump saw the upgrades, there came serious apartment buildings, ancillary service stores and POPULATION increase (read tax improvements). And all this occurred around the Metro-North train station.
Bob, I do not dismiss what you are saying about New Rochelle. I am also aware the downtown mechanicals need upgrading as well as there was a water main break downtown just the other day. I am certain these issues have been discussed and will be addressed. Weren’t these some of Eric Anderson and Phil Kuchma’s issues a few years back?
Phil Kuchma had been long disrespected by the “leaders” of Bridgeport lo these 35 or so years. He saw the potential in downtown and was blocked consistently by those leeches who have run this town as their personal fiefdom since Tedesco was mayor. As to the mechanicals, that’s up to the water, electrical, and gas utilities to be forced to upgrade by this administration that has the backbone of a jellyfish. When that happens you’ll be old and gray like me.
60 jobs/30 full time tenants. I’m pretty sure the downtown restaurants welcomed at least 90 potential customers. Amici Miei is right across the street. Barnum Publick House/Bistro B–right around the corner. That is just a few. I’d love for it to be 60 jobs for 60 BPT residents, but how many actually qualify for this company? No town has offices this size filled with employees based only in that town (i.e. New Haven), but as long as they support the BPT businesses, that is a good sign. The New Haven Restaurant scene is thriving, and a lot of that is from the out-of-town employees who work in New Haven.
If every single one of these jobs is held by out-of-towners, it doesn’t contribute one dollar to the city’s tax base. The only individuals to benefit are the out-of-town restaurant owners and many out-of-town servers.
Are you implying Bridgeport residents could not possibly be qualified for these 60 positions? If so, that is a sad commentary on someone who claims to be “Lifelong Bpt.”
Even the sales tax goes to the state, not our municipality.
New Haven restaurants have been thriving since at least 1987 when I lived in downtown New Haven and the number-one contributor to Downtown New Haven is the sprawling and historic Yale Campus, and in the summer, the New Haven Green concert series. That is what anchors downtown. Even a mall couldn’t survive in downtown New Haven and was closed. What happened to the New Haven Coliseum?
“Are you implying Bridgeport residents could not possibly be qualified for these 60 positions? If so, that is a sad commentary on someone who claims to be “Lifelong Bpt.”
No it is not a sad commentary on me. I am merely stating a fact. I am sure some BPT residents can fill the positions, but how many architects and engineers do you know? Filling all 60 from BPT is just not possible. If that were the case, then all the businesses downtown would be BPT only.
I understand–you have presented yourself as the “BPT and no one else” advocate. Lofty goal indeed, but not practical. But these “out of town” restaurants and business owners are paying to occupy space in BPT, so at least the city is getting some revenue out of it. Would you prefer empty buildings awaiting “Bridgeport Only” owners? Perhaps we should close the Arena and the hotel downtown too–or make it only available for BPT residents.
I support Bridgeport–but you have to be realistic.
Here is the FT job listings from their website. Pass among your qualified friends.
www .fletcherthompson.com/careers_listings.aspx