“There will be jobs in constructing these buildings. There will be jobs for workers that are living here, and once complete, there will be jobs in the retail sites being created on this block.” – Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch
Bridgeport, Conn. (January 8, 2015) – At a press conference today, Mayor Bill Finch joined developers, city staff, and elected leaders for the groundbreaking of a revitalization project in Bridgeport’s Downtown North. The long-neglected site – consisting of the Jayson Building (179 Middle St.) and the Newfield Building (1184 Main St.) – will be combined into one structure, the Jayson-Newfield Building. It will serve as home to 104 new apartments and 8,000 feet of ground floor retail space.
“This is primarily about jobs. There will be jobs in constructing these buildings. There will be jobs for workers that are living here, and once complete, there will be jobs in the retail sites being created on this block,” said Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.
The Jayson-Newfield Building is one of many revitalization projects that are planned to launch over the next two years in Bridgeport’s Downtown North area.
“This marks the start of an approximately 15 month construction process, during which we plan to launch a half-dozen other revitalization projects in this neighborhood. So six to nine months from now, our plan is to have the majority of properties in Downtown North being developed. It’s a critical part of improving downtown and the city overall,” said Bridgeport’s Economic Development Director David Kooris.
Jayson-Newfield developer Eric Anderson of Urban Green said it took time to get this off the ground – and it would have been easier to knock the buildings down and start from scratch – but keeping the historic fabric of the buildings is paying off.
“We are very pleased with where we are. We were patient and had taken the time to actually make the new building within these historic walls. And, 104 units of housing was worth the wait,” said Anderson.
The Jayson Building was originally built in 1893. It’s a historic four story structure containing nearly 60,000 square feet on Middle Street. This 19th century building has a number of interesting historical features, including the original exterior masonry and brownstone windowsills. Much of the external structure will be retained or augmented, but the interior finishes will be replaced.
The Newfield Building was originally constructed in two phases between 1871-1907. It is located on the northeast corner of Golden Hill and Main Streets, and occupies more than 63,000 square feet. The brick, metal, and wood details of the building’s exterior will be maintained and refurbished. However, the bulk of Newfield’s internal structure requires replacement.
The Jayson Building and Newfield Building are being combined into a single structure by punching openings at each floor through their joined party wall.
Upon completion, the Jayson-Newfield Building will have residential apartments from floors 1-4. In total, the building will house 56 units: 40 studios and 16 1-bedrooms.
“It’s going to be an exciting time in downtown Bridgeport,” said City Councilman Jack Banta.
“Downtown North will be the hotbed of activity in Bridgeport for years to come. We’ll see job creation in construction, and we’ll see job creation once the sites are launched. We’ll see high-quality housing creation. And, just like Bass Pro anchors Steelpointe Harbor – and subsequently we’ve announced Starbucks, Chipotle, with much more to come – the Jayson-Newfield site anchors Downtown North and there are many exciting announcements to come in the near future,” added David Kooris.
For more on economic development in Bridgeport, Conn., please visit: www.bridgeportbettereveryday.com/jobs.