Two new development opportunities in Downtown Bridgeport

The City of Bridgeport recently released two Request for Proposals soliciting developers for City-owned sites in Downtown Bridgeport. The first of these RFPs is for Downtown North, a redevelopment area comprising approximately one and a half city blocks of Downtown Bridgeport. To facilitate a range of different proposals from interested respondents, the City chose to include three different development opportunities within one RFP, with those opportunities being the Davidson Building, the surrounding Davidson Block, and the Main and Middle Site located directly across the street from Davidson. Developers will be able to apply for any single site or combination of sites within Downtown North.

Well known to Bridgeport residents and visitors, The Davidson Building is a 16,000 square foot, three-and-a-half story masonry and brick structure. Originally designed by architect Warren R. Briggs, the building opened in 1900 as the Middle Street Boy’s Club. In the mid-1970’s, Davidson’s Fabrics moved its manufacturing and retail operation to the site. The company’s logo can still be seen in a recently restored mural on the north wall of the building. Surrounding the Davidson Building is the Davidson Block, a grouping of 12 City-owned parcels bounded by Main Street, Congress Street, Gold Street, and Housatonic Avenue, and totaling approximately 115,000 square feet (2.64 acres) in area. Across the street from the Davidson Block, is Main and Middle, an L-shaped property with two corner frontages and high visibility.

The City is seeking dynamic, mixed-use, transit-oriented development on the site that enhances the surrounding neighborhood while maximizing the site’s historic and economic potential. The City also encourages developers to re-imagine the street grid of Downtown North, giving RFP respondents the option to consider closing the dead-end portion of Middle Street, or extending Chapel Street across Main Street to Housatonic Avenue, for instance.

The second RFP released was for Golden Hill Street, a site that includes both 157 and 171 Golden Hill Street. This site is located directly across the street from the historic Fairfield County Courthouse and just one block from the Downtown North Site. At a little over 9,000 square feet, this airy, light-filled parcel is nestled into the gentle slope of Golden Hill, providing 360 degrees of visibility. The City seeks residential or commercial development at the site, with the ideal proposal including an architecturally attractive building that is contextual to its surroundings.

Taken together or separately, the size, location, and significance of both Downtown North and Golden Hill Street represent a rare and transformative opportunity to reshape Downtown Bridgeport.

Find the Downtown North RFP here.

Find the Golden Hill Street RFP here.