Delayed, over-budget Bridgeport flood control project on track for $47M federal boost

Brian Lockhart

BRIDGEPORT — The federal government is expected to bail out a delayed, over-budget South End flood control initiative, but the release of the dollars, and actual construction, are still months away.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection last week confirmed the Resilient Bridgeport project has qualified for an additional $47.5 million, though there are still several steps to go for the grant to be finalized.

That $47.5 million is in addition to the $40.8 million previously set aside around eight years ago.

"Had that not happened this project would have been dead," said Himes of the funding boost, made possible by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program for the prevention of natural disasters.

The massive coastal flood risk reduction initiative was launched locally after the destruction Hurricane Sandy caused in the South End in 2012. Once installed, the infrastructure network of new pumping stations, flood walls, raised streets and other related improvements are not only intended to safeguard lives and property, but expected to significantly lower flood insurance costs, spurring more private investment in the area.

But the hope that Resilient Bridgeport initially inspired for the South End's future has over the years given way to some frustration with the slow pace of the ongoing design process and the subsequent spike in the originally estimated budget. 

"Everything that could go wrong, did, including a global pandemic," Himes said. 

He attributed some of the difficulties to having so many parties — the city, plus state and federal agencies — involved. 

"You have all these entities. Everybody has a little piece," Himes continued. "This would be a much easier project if it was a one-department or one-agency project. ... I think we're in a much better place than we were five years ago. But it pains me to just say, 'Five years ago.'"

Over a year ago state officials applied for the additional $47.5 million from FEMA. And the grant is not quite a done deal.

"That final approval may take some time, as there are many factors that need to be evaluated and boxes checked before we potentially receive the $47.5 million grant," Paul Copleman, media relations manager for the state DEEP, said this week. "We’re in the midst of a process where we supply FEMA with a lot of information and address questions they may have; in our experience, that’s not unexpected ... and should take several more months before a contract with FEMA is in place. The back-and-forth helps clarify the project execution and delivery."

Himes said FEMA wants to be sure the state can obtain access to several private parcels of land needed for Resilient Bridgeport's construction. He is aiming for shovels to be in the ground around next February. 

“Were hoping to have all of the pre-construction activities — land acquisition, easements, design, all of the permitting, updating of the initial environmental impact statement, contracting, bidding — all tied up properly in 10 months or so," he said.

Maisa Tisdale, president of the Mary and Eliza Freeman Center, has spent years working to preserve the Mary and Eliza Freeman houses. The two South End homes are remnants of Little Liberia, a 200-year-old community founded by free African Americans and Paugusett Indians.

Tisdale said she is "really excited" that Resilient Bridgeport is moving forward and that the FEMA money is being made available. But, she said, given so much time has passed she hopes the plan will accommodate more recent major changes since Sandy struck a dozen years ago. Those include the planned demolition of the former coal-fired power plant, which went off-line a few years ago, and construction of the new Bassick High School, which state officials had initially urged be delayed until Resilient Bridgeport's completion.

"Could it have gone faster? There's no need to look back to see about that," she said of the slow pace of Resilient Bridgeport. "What I think we really have to be wary of now ... is to make sure it's now updated to reflect the circumstances. ... If it takes a little more time to really update and revisit those plans, I think it's better to get it right than do it fast."

Stratford approves updated plans for 100-unit Lordship apartment building

Richard Chumney

STRATFORD — A developer who sought to increase the size of an already approved apartment building planned for Lordship Boulevard has agreed to keep the structure at 100 units, but has been allowed to tweak the number of affordable apartments. 

The Stratford Zoning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve updated plans from Stamford-based Empire Residential to construct the building next to an old hotel at 225 Lordship Blvd., which the company previously converted into an apartment building. 

The vote was held more than seven months after the developer applied to revise the initial plans for the building, which were approved in 2022, to increase the total number of units from 100 to 127 and raise the number of floors from four to five. 

But Chris Russo, an attorney representing Empire, said the developer instead agreed to maintain the originally proposed size of the structure in exchange for increasing the number of affordable units from 30 to 36 while changing the eligibility requirements. 

“It's obviously a property that has high visibility and a great location with access to Interstate 95,” Russo said Friday. “We think it's a perfect spot for apartments.”

The application was filed under state statute 8-30g, which allows developers to bypass local zoning laws and regulations — including height restrictions — if at least 30 percent of the project’s units are set aside for affordable housing. 

Towns and cities can only deny the project if it could cause a significant health or safety concern. Developers, meanwhile, can only take advantage of the law if less than 10 percent of a municipality’s housing units are designated as affordable. 

Under the originally approved plan, half of the 30 affordable units would have been rented to residents who make 60 percent of the area median income while the other half would have been rented to residents who make 80 percent of the area median income. 

The changes approved by the zoning commission increased the number of affordable apartments in the 100-unit building to 36. Additionally, each of those units will be rented to tenants who make 80 percent of the area median income. 
 
According to site plans, the building will include a mix of studios, one-bedroom units and two-bedroom apartments. Representatives for the developer have said the market-rate studios would likely be rented at $1,200 to $1,400 a month, while the deed-restricted units would go for around $800 to $900 a month. 

The structure will also feature a gym, a parking garage on the first level and more than 1,000 square feet of commercial space, the plans show.  

The building is part of a larger redevelopment of the once-dilapidated 4.7-acre site. The structure is set to be built directly adjacent to a relatively new 69-unit apartment building that previously housed the Stratford Hotel and Conference Center.

Empire purchased the old hotel, which was once a Radisson, and the surrounding site in 2016 for $4.2 million. In addition to converting the hotel into apartments, the company built a 120,000 square-foot self-storage facility in the rear of the property, providing a buffer between the residential buildings and the town’s nearby waste transfer station. 

“Before my client bought the property, it was a significant headache for the town,” Russo said. “It was blighted and the fire marshal and cops frequently had to visit there. It was a real eyesore with a lot of problems. Since then, my client has really done a complete revitalization.” 

Russo said the developer will likely begin work on the building sometime during the start of next year. He said it could take 18 to 24 months to complete the building, but noted that a firm timeline for the construction process was not yet available.