THE PLAZA BUILDING
A Center of Commerce
The City of Bridgeport, with its excellent deep water
harbor, has long been a hub of commerce and industry. Trade with the West Indies
flourished just after the American Revolution, and by the 1830s the City had its own fleet
of whaling ships. In the years that followed, harbor activity boomed as marble for the
construction of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and granite for Charleston's Fort Sumter
were shipped out. At the beginning of the 20th century, Bridgeport was regarded as the
"Industrial Capitol of Connecticut" and was said to have the most diversified
industrial base of any American City.
Now Bridgeport is ready to take on a new title:
"Connecticut's International Center". International trade has been heralded as
the growth market of the 1990s and Bridgeport is positioned to capture its share of the
global market. Through targeted development and the recruitment of import/export linked
manufacturing and shipping firms, Bridgeport hopes to attract international businesses,
conferences, and exhibitions, bringing visitors from all over the world.
Downtown Vision
A key element in Bridgeport's international strategy is a
vibrant, attractive downtown with a balanced mix of retail, housing, and entertainment
offerings. The overall vision for the City's downtown supports this strategy through the
creation of six planning districts: Arts and Entertainment, Residential, Retail,
International, Financial, and Riverfront. Specific uses are concentrated in defined areas
to impart a sense of identity and character to each district and bring order to the
downtown as a whole. The objective, however, is not to segregate uses entirely, but to
keep them integrated for convenience and variety. District Boundaries, therefore, are
flexible and overlapping
The Wall Street Block
The Wall Street Block lies within the Retail district,
where the focus is on the revitalisation of the downtown's historic commercial core. An
expanded retail/restaurant base, within walking distance from every corner of the
downtown, will serve and enhance all of the other districts.
The Wall Street Block has been planned around the
"cluster concept". New restaurants and clubs will be located close to one
another, offering customers a variety of entertainment options and a choice of different
cuisines and price ranges, all within one square block. The block will have a unique theme
that will create a destination point to draw customers during the lunch hour, after work,
and on weekends. Nearby businesses will benefit from each other's sales and patrons, and
all of Bridgeport stands to gain from the revitalised downtown's active nightlife.
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