Bridgeport Landing Development (BLD) may be best known as the city’s top waterfront developer but it’s also active in the creation of affordable housing in other neighborhoods. Recently, on Thursday September 5, 2019 Bridgeport Landing Development joined government officials, bankers, executives, and community members at 273-301 West Avenue for the official groundbreaking ceremony for West Liberty Commons. BLD is one of the funders of the three-story 18-unit building.
West Liberty Commons is part of a series of Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust (BNT) construction revitalization projects in Bridgeport’s Downtown West neighborhood. Robert Christoph Jr, President of Operations at BLD said, “We recognize that while we are developing Steelpointe, we can also help develop other neighborhoods around our city”.
West Liberty Commons is just one of the projects BLD has funded in the East End and West Side. In the East End, BLD is helping with the NRZ Market & Café as well as the Civic Block Project. The Civic Block Project is a long awaited project to bring the community a new library and new commercial development including a grocery store to give the residents access to fresh food and healthy food choices. The Café is bringing fresh produce, building skills and teaching healthy food preparation, and jobs to a neighborhood considered to be a food desert.
The West Liberty Commons West Side project will feature one, two, and three-bedroom apartments and street-level parking. At the groundbreaking Bridgeport’s Mayor, Joe Ganim said, “There is an obligation on our part to do what’s happening here today. And that is to step up and create the partnership opportunity, and the reality that is a part of Bridgeport’s vision for more affordable housing.”
By building quality affordable homes like West Liberty Commons, BNT, with the help of funders such as BLD, is providing new housing opportunities for families with low and moderate-income. “What BNT is bringing here is not just stability in terms of homes and families, but it’s bringing an increase in jobs and investment in our community”, said City Council President Aidee Nieves. The $5 million dollar project will turn a once vacant lot into a mix of housing for low and moderate-income families and individuals who want to enjoy living in an urban setting where diverse individuals can build community and enjoy local culture and consumer opportunities. “We have plans for job creation as well as assisting BNT and other organizations with Workforce housing throughout the East Side and East End,” said Robert Christoph Jr. BLD is proud to be a part of an extraordinary team helping to make this project come to fruition. Stay tuned for the opening of West Liberty Commons in Spring 2020.
