15°
By ELIZABETH TORRES
Bridgeports East End has been dormant with no significant construction for more than 30 years, but with the State awarding capital funding to build a mixed use building at 1803 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust (BNT) threw a celebration!
On Thursday April 17, over 75 East End residents gathered on the Stratford Avenue lot to enjoy Spring Back the East End, a family and community-oriented block party with a DJ, bouncy house, a lemonade stand, an egg hunt and a catered cookout provided by the Connection and Haynes Construction. The new construction on Stratford Avenue will revitalize the existing neighborhood, create jobs and develop a cornerstone building. "Because of its location on the main commercial strip of the East End and to mark a new beginning in this part of the city, the development will be named Milestone at Stratford," said Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust Executive Director Elizabeth Torres. The three-story development will include retail space and 30 units of supportive and affordable apartments. Of the 30 apartments at Milestone at Stratford Avenue, ten will provide supportive services for adults with special needs, specifically directed toward veterans. The remaining apartments will be set aside for individuals earning less the 80% of the areas Annual Median Income (AMI). "This is a great day for the East End," said East End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Chairman Bishop Richardo Griffith. "Nothing significant has happened in the East End for about 30 years. This is the beginning of great things." In addition to the housing and retail component, there will be on-site parking, management offices, space for programming and services, laundry facility, community room and conference rooms. "We're hopeful we can attract a grocery store or a pharmacy," Torres said. "Both services are much needed in this community." David Kooris, Director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development, spoke on behalf of Mayor Finch praising the organizations and individuals who worked to bring the construction to Bridgeport. There is a need for quality housing, Kooris said. Projects like this illustrate the alignment of interests between East End and the administration. "If you have a home on the East End, hold on to it," said Councilwoman Eneida Martinez-Walker. "Your values are going to go up soon." About Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust: BNTs mission is to LEAD, EMPOWER and CHANGE Bridgeport neighborhoods, improving quality of life through affordable housing opportunities. To meet this challenge, BNT develops and manages affordable housing, creates healthy homes with a focus on lead remediation and provides comprehensive homeownership for low and moderate income families. BNT was incorporated in 1986 and provides an array of services in the Bridgeport community. Over the past eight years, BNTs results include the development of 95 new scattered site affordable housing units (61 are under management). Currently it has an additional 34 units in construction. With regards to its programs, BNT has created 700 lead-safe apartments and helped 457 families achieve homeownership during this time period.Click here to follow Daily Voice Bridgeport and receive free news updates.
