Empty field becomes battleground in mayoral race

An empty field has turned into the latest political fight in Bridgeport's hotly contested race for mayor.
The field, which has been unoccupied for two decades, once housed one of the nation's most dangerous public housing projects, according to officials. They say in a few weeks, a developer will start turning the empty space into a major apartment development, which will be called Crescent Crossings.
At issue is the amount of tax breaks the developer should receive. Current Mayor Bill Finch is pushing for a 35-year tax break for the developer to finish the second half of the project.
The City Council rejected Finch's idea back in May, but he plans to try again Monday night.
With the election just months away, Finch's chief opponent has jumped on the issue. Ex-Mayor Joe Ganim said today that the proposed tax break is too high, but Finch's camp tells News 12 that Connecticut will not pay for a project of this magnitude without at least a 30-year tax break.
The planners are expecting to finish the development in two years. It will be a mixture of affordable and market-rate apartments.