Bridgeport residents protest proposed tax breaks for developer of luxury apartments
Bridgeport residents held a protest Sunday over a
planned tax break for 400 luxury apartments set to be built at Steele Point.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on the measure Monday
night.
The protestors tell News 12 that the complex will
not contain any affordable housing units - required by law - but instead those
units will be built at scattered sites throughout the city.
They say that amounts to segregation.
Steelpointe developer Robert Chrisoph, Jr. sent News 12 a statement:
“We are excited to begin building the next phase of
Steelpointe Harbor in Bridgeport, adding to the success of the new marina, Boca
Oyster Bar, Bass Pro Shops, Starbucks, North Sails and Bridgeport Boatworks. We
are ahead of schedule with our commitment to affordable housing in Bridgeport,
having already built 45 affordable units with plans submitted for construction
of another 44 on East Main Street and additional plans for workforce
housing on the peninsula.
A
combination of activities is necessary for neighborhood success including both
market rate and affordable housing construction. Market rate housing such as
the 400 units proposed will play a role in making Bridgeport a desirable place
to live and will phase in its tax responsibility as they go online. The
tax proposal is fair and equitable and will have no negative impact on
Bridgeport taxpayers or the city budget; in all it is expected that the deal
will lead to more than $100,000,000 in investments in Bridgeport with work
going to local residents and minority owned companies."