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"This is the rebirth of the Wall Street area," Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said. "We are excited about it we rolled up our sleeves and we've done what we had to do to get the project, by working with the developer, to get the project back on track."
And it's about time, said the developer about the project that was first proposed 12 years year ago
"It's a long time overdue, and we are happy to get it started," said Michael DiScala, chief executive officer of M.F. DiScala & Co. His company is developing it along with its joint venture partner, EDG Properties.
The Head of the Harbor South plan calls for building 60 housing units in two buildings along the waterfront on upper Smith Street as well as a public plaza linking to an eight-foot-wide public pathway along the development's 400-foot long section of waterfront.
Site work began in the last two weeks and the development is expected to be open in the spring of 2017.
DiScala said it will help revitalize and bring to life that section of the waterfront.
"We're converting this area, slowly but surely from a working harbor to a walking harbor," DiScala said.
Rilling said the development will help bring more people to live in the urban core of the city and help bring more life to the area.
"This has been an area of Wall Street that has struggled since the flood of 1955," Rilling said. He noted that the flood destroyed buildings and caused people to think twice about investing in the area. He said the new development will help to rebuild the area.
Among the guests was former Democratic Mayor Alex Knopp, who was mayor from 2001 to 2005 when the project was first proposed.
The development is on Smith Street in an area bordered by Norwalk River on one side and the Norwalk Historical Society looks down on it from 2 E. Wall St. Smith Street is just off Wall Street.
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