BRIDGEPORT — Andre Swanston just wanted to eat his hot chicken sandwich — hold the pickles — not discuss the chances of his minor league soccer stadium receiving tens-of-millions of dollars in state funding before the legislative session adjourns.
But the entrepreneur, between bites, was soon extolling the benefits of his $1.1 billion redevelopment plan while avoiding any predictions.
"What I know with 100% certainty is this will be one of, if not the biggest economic impact undertakings in the state in decades," Swanston said during an interview at Mayor Joe Ganim's annual lunch address to the business community Thursday.
Swanston should soon have more certainty about if and when his vision for the lower East Side in Bridgeport, which includes the soccer venue, a hotel, 1,100 housing units and public recreational space, will become a reality.
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The state House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would, should Bridgeport officials so choose, allow the city to use tax incremental financing (TIF) to help pay for up to $190 million of the stadium and infrastructure construction. A portion of any new real estate taxes generated by the project would pay off the debt rather than going directly into Bridgeport's municipal coffers.
TIF was used to help finance the Steelpointe harborfront redevelopment across from the proposed stadium site where a Bass Pro Shop, a Starbucks, a marina and a seafood restaurant are open and an apartment complex is under construction.
Bridgeport's legislators as of late last week felt good the TIF bill would be voted out of the state Senate by the session's end at midnight Wednesday.
"Barring a catastrophe, (it) will be something that passes both chambers and is signed by the governor," said state Rep. Antonio Felipe, D-Bridgeport. "I think we can say that is going to be available to us. I just think there needs to be a significant state investment on top of that."
Borrowing or bonding?
There has been a simultaneous push for state lawmakers to also commit about $100 million to Swanston's project as part of any borrowing or bonding package included in a new two-year Connecticut budget negotiated with Gov. Ned Lamont.
But Bridgeport officials are not as confident about that funding.
"There's a lot of unknowns in the (state) budget," said Constance Vickers, Ganim's deputy chief of staff. Federal cuts and other issues have created "a very tricky session to ask for non-immediate on-the-ground needs."
"But we are still pushing very hard for this," Vickers said. "We believe in the vision and the incredible economic impact the stadium would bring to Bridgeport and the region."
Felipe and Bridgeport state Reps. Christopher Rosario and Steve Stafstrom in separate interviews emphasized the importance of getting Lamont to back the stadium spending. Lamont has previously expressed support for Swanston's effort but not about providing significant state funds, preferring the private sector to take on that responsibility.
"We could put $300 million in (the budget)," Rosario said. "If he doesn't authorize it, it doesn't matter."
"I've been encouraged by statements the governor has made in terms of his support for soccer, but ultimately it's his discretion," said Stafstrom.
Bridgeport has a lot of other financial asks to help balance the just-passed municipal budget and fund a struggling school district.
Lamont's office in a statement said staff has "been tracking the Tax Incremental Financing proposal ... and will need to review the final language before acting on the bill, should it make it to the governor's desk."
As for borrowing state dollars for the stadium, the governor's office noted the project was not included in the bond proposal he submitted to the General Assembly earlier this year.
Big opportunity?
Swanston declined to discuss actual dollars or what it could mean for the stadium's tentative 2026 opening if no state monies are offered. But he said, "This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for Bridgeport and for Connecticut.
"We can't be penny-wise and pound foolish," he said. "This is it. This is the chance."
This is the single chance, he believes, for Connecticut to get a major league sports team. Connecticut United, announced in January 2024, is a lower-division club associated with Major League Soccer that would call Bridgeport home. Swanston's ultimate aim is for the city to eventually host a major league team.
But Swanston also pivoted to focus more on his plan's housing component, saying the stadium is the "smallest part" of the $1.1 billion budget but necessary for getting the East Side redevelopment accomplished.
The "overwhelming majority of that money is actually housing and public infrastructure," Swanston said. "There's a housing crisis in Connecticut and there need to be things that are a catalyst ... for housing."
At least 160 different developers have told him they need to know the stadium is happening before committing to erecting residential buildings, he said.
"Without a catalyst like the stadium, how does Bridgeport and the surrounding area help attract private capital to solve the housing crisis?" Swanston said.
Despite the uncertainty, the stadium project was on Ganim's list of highlights at Thursday's event, held at the concert amphitheater in the South End.
"It's a real game-changer for Bridgeport and a real testament to how far our city has come attracting development," the mayor told the crowd.
Ganim's speech was a reminder of how long it can take for projects to move forward in Connecticut's largest municipality.
The amphitheater, constructed from the bones of the closed minor league baseball park, was approved in 2017 and opened in mid-2021. That was a relatively quick turnaround compared to the timelines of other redevelopments the mayor praised.
Steelpointe has been a work-in-progress for decades, with the long-anticipated housing just going up. And while demolition is underway at the retired coal-fired power plant adjacent to the amphitheater, efforts to close that facility date back over 10 years.
Another redevelopment Ganim focused on — the modest Honey Locust Square on the East End, with its supermarket, restaurant, bank and other retail space — has been in the works since 2018 and should finally open this year.
It came as no surprise last August when Swanston, who first went public with his stadium plans in fall 2023, moved the venue's grand opening from spring of this year to early 2026.
And with the clock ticking away at the Capitol, he is not the only stadium supporter speaking in now or never terms.
The state-of-the-city was hosted by the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, whose president, Dan Onofrio, sported a "Connecticut United" pin on his jacket.
"It's a big ask," Onofrio said of the $100 million in state aid. "It's a huge ask."
But, he said, "I think we have a short window of opportunity. If Connecticut wants to be on the map for a sports franchise, it's only going to be Major League Soccer."