Business & Tech

BLT Prepares for Hearing on Stamford Projects, Bridgewater HQ Site

On Tuesday night, Stamford's Planning Board will host a public hearing focused on a land agreement that would allow the development of a boatyard just off Magee Avenue and move forward the plan to bring Bridgewater Associates' headquarters to the South End.

On Monday, Building & Land Technology's Vice President and general council John Freeman hosted a preview at Harbor Point's offices of what the public would be seeing at the meeting the following evening.

"Working with the city and the community, we started the process trying to address what does the community need," Freeman said about BLT's mindset when they began working on rebuilding Stamford's Harbor Point. "How do you create a mixed-use development that's going to be successful and be able to stand on its own... We've really worked closely with the community and the city to kind of look at what needs to be here to be successful and create a real sense of community."

The plan remained generally the same since the proposed agreement was initially presented to the public by Mayor Michael Pavia back in April. It features a 6-acre boatyard capable of storing up to 509 vessels, a 10-mile walkable loop through a number of Stamford's parks and some open-space areas the developer has pledged to create as part of the deal, a brand new animal shelter the company is working in conjunction with Outreach to Pets in Need to create and, of course, the 850,000-square-foot Bridgewater headquarters.

Part of the hearing will include discussion on BLT's access to a 20-foot strip of land the city owns that would be necessary for completion of the new boatyard. There has been some contention over whether the city should be allowed to give away what some have labeled as parkland property.

"The city property in question was never dedicated as parkland," Freeman said. "[It] was acquired for municipal uses, including a marina. What we're proposing doing today is consistent with the uses of the property."

Stamford would see an influx of funds when BLT began construction on the various projects, including $9.75 million in building permits for the $750 million construction project that is the Bridgewater headquarters and an increase from $150,000 in annual property taxes for the current site to $6.5 million annually when the headquarters is finished.

If things go according to plan, Freeman said they'd like to begin working on projects fairly quickly, including receiving permits for the new animal shelter within 90 days of approval of the project so that the new building could be finished within 12 months.

Freeman touted the idea of the 10-mile walking loop around Stamford's parks and waterfronts as something that would be a premiere highlight no other town in Connecticut has seen before.

"I'm really excited about the open space and water access because it's such a huge 'quality of life' boost," he said. "It's really going to benefit the entire city in a way that's going to be fundamental and dramatic."


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