From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
The city has placed the former Harding High School property on the market, and several officials said neighbor Bridgeport Hospital aims to submit an offer to expand in some capacity onto the site.
“They’ve always said they wanted it,” said state Rep. Andre Baker who, with other community leaders from that section of town, has been part of behind-the-scenes discussions about the future of the shuttered 200,000-square-foot school and 8 acres of land at 1734 Central Ave. in the shadow of the medical campus.
“They’ve been meeting with the community (and) the city’s been in discussion with the hospital,” said City Councilman Ernie Newton.
He, Baker and others also said that they have been talking to hospital representatives about including a housing component in any deal.
Full story here.
Ernie Newton let Developer Bob Christoph RCI Group just last year walk away from 2500 units of market-rate housing without an affordable housing component,!
Now they want to stick it to .Bridgeport Hospital, WTF is going on Here?
Put a cap on it.
Tax-exempt entities are no longer allowed to buy properties and EXTEND THEIR footprint. New properties are taxed at existing rates.
If you wished to ask about Bridgeport CT’s official stand on HOUSING, where would you seek such an answer?
***Office of Planning and Development? Currently late on “affordable housing” report to the community at large, but responsible for the current Zoning Plan that guides Building Department and other City actions.
***Department of Housing and Community Development? Receptionist reports that they only handle CDBG issues or requests for emergency assistance. They seem to refer other HOUSING issues to the Bridgeport Housing Authority d/b/a Park City Communities at 150 Highland Street. The Mayor appoints representatives to their board, but otherwise the City seems to have no public information as to funding of, annual reports on, or better yet, public comment sought from those to whom service is provided.
***City Council – as a body they are waiting for OPED overdue report as required by State of CT and getting impatient having had to cancel a recent meeting.
***Fair Rent Commission or Fair Housing Commission – Each City board was allowed by successive mayors to cease functioning for lack of appointments to each group. Municipal death by inattention and administrative inaction. Purposeful? After more than 10 years, yet still listed under City Boards and Commissions listing, any conspiracy theories floating around?
***Office of Accountability and Integrity- Suggested as potential source of info, not from name of City office , but because on past occasions the Director, Ed Adams, has been responsible for probing and assisting in Housing matters.
*** City Chief Administrative Officer- Raising that possible person as a resource, by a City employee I was asked where Janene Hawkins is working currently, perhaps in less evidence than in the past?
*** Housing issues, to the extent they have State or Federal funding or reporting often have to post legal notices in the newspaper. Three such notices are recent. One of these has to do with HOME-ARPA funding in excess of $4 Million. What is newsworthy from the CITY of BRIDGEPORT in election year? Time will tell.