These pictures show the building at the corner of Golden Street and Main Street. At one time the building was helping the city of Bridgeport by holding businesses. Unfortunately, all the building does now is take up space. Also, there are many problems with this space. There is garbage around the building and the lights are broken and pulled out of place. When we are finished with this project, this building will be in better shape.

PRESENT

ThE BUILDING ToDay After many years of being abandoned, the building has become very rundown.

sustainable C I T I E S

FUTURE PLANS The Red Carpet apartment is “eco” friendly by using solar power to help save electricity. It has landscaping around the building.

artwork by Jacinda

FUTURE PLANS The renovated building will have a rooftop garden and an outdoor pool facility.

rendering by Daniel

THE TEAM Daniel Leszczynski, Jonathan Konecny, Jacinda Larrea, Egypt Walker

CoRNER of GoLDEN ST. aND maIN ST.

f U T U R EOUR PROPOSAL:ThE BUILDInG AT ThE CoRnER of Golden Street and Main Street is very old and rundown. We plan to renovate this building to help restore Bridgeport to its original state. We would renovate this building to become an apartment building.This complex would help small business investors buy inexpensive but high quality housing close to their new business. If our proposal is approved, Bridgeport would change for the better.

The Red Carpet Apartments will be very affordable, and in order to live here, the tenants will have to make sure the renters keep their apartments in great condition, so it looks nice for the future tenants. An affordable, monthly rent is due on the last day of every month. There will be different apartment sizes for various budgets. There will be different packages that you can opt into in order to have access to facilities that are not in the standard package. This apartment building will bring people together from different backgrounds and businesses into one place to collaborate on many different opportunities and really help out the city of Bridgeport. our apartment building will be modern and up-to-date. It will have environmentally friendly structures such as solar panels and a nearby wind turbine near the area to light the hallways and pool area at night or on dark days. In order to promote a healthy lifestyle it will have an outdoor pool on the ground floor and a garden on the roof. To take part in the gardening and fun in the pool, tenants pay a low, extra fee that will go toward the upkeep of the facilities. Every floor will have a balcony so that the owners can watch the scenic view. It will have an exercise room so that the tenants can stay in shape. There will also be a coffee shop, small restaurant, and a general store on the ground floor of the building. These amenities will be in walking distance so that the tenants will not have to own a car, can stay put in one area, and get all the necessities they need. Even though this building is rundown now, apartments and shops will be the best fit for this building in the future.

The project will have many benefits for Bridgeport. It will allow people to be able to have a good and safe home for an inexpensive cost. The building will help people in need and help them if they are in hard times. I think this is one of the best establishments that Bridgeport will ever accomplish when they allow us to do our project. our idea will be inexpensive to build and will last a long time. The fact that the building is eco- friendly and cheap will draw people from all over because many people are looking for homes just like this. The building will be a big hit because many people will want to live here. ThE RED CaRPET aPaRTmENTS

1200 Main Street is abandoned. on the outside it looks like it is in good shape. It has some graffiti on the front, no broken windows, nothing damaged. on the inside it is dusty with clutter on the floor. This part is mostly in need of repair. There is a tree on the sidewalk in front of the building. Besides this, there is no other vegetation. It appears that this building used to contain a beauty salon.

PRESENT

ThE BUILDING ToDay The outside is fairly intact, however the interior is in need of repair.

sustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS We are helping the community by selling food, basic clothing and shoes at affordable prices. We will also have a rooftop cafe with soft music playing.

drawing by Devin

OUR PROPOSAL:CURREnTLy, ThE BUILDInG LoCATED on 1200 MAIn STREET is abandoned. This building looks fairly intact on the outside. The inside of the building is rundown, out-of-date, and is in desperate need of restoration.

our group decided to keep the building the way it is and make a mini-market out of it. We decided this because it would provide people who live in the city the chance to come and shop for anything they need such as clothes, food, and other necessities. We also plan on putting a book store and even an outdoor cafe on the roof where people can sit with their coffee and read. We also plan on making this a very modern-themed market. It will be designed for today’s culture of people.

We predict the cost of fixing the building and making it look nicer will be great, but it is worth it for people to be able to shop in the community in which they live. People who live in Bridgeport will spend their money in Bridgeport, helping its economy. We decided to preserve it because it would cost too much money to knock it down. It is also much easier to get investors to help clean it up and make it a healthier environment.

As for the environmental part, we plan on putting solar panels on the roof to help with the cost of electricity. Also, we will use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. The cafe on the roof of our building will be powered by the solar panels. This will reduce the energy bill and add an Eco- friendly and modern feel. In conclusion, this will be the best mini-market ever made.

FUTURE PLANS The mini market will provide local residents with a place to buy food and other necessities.

rendering by Aaliyah

THE TEAM Aaliyah Corriette, Jaidyn Johnson, Patrick Tennant, Devin Allen, Zyanna Wright

1200 maIN STREET

mINI-maRKET

The Poli Palace Theater in Bridgeport, CT, was built in 1922 and closed down in 1971. This structure is still standing but is vacant. The exterior of the building reflects its poor condition because it needs new windows and a new door, but the stone it was made out of is fine. once the windows are added, they will highlight the beauty of the designs.

PRESENTsustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS We would like to see more plants and trees around the theater. The outside would be painted, and the inside would be restored back to its original form. Solar panels would help to power the theater to save cost and maintenance.

artwork by Shaniya

OUR PROPOSAL:AT 1325 MAIn STREET In BRIDGEPoRT, Connecticut, is a beautiful theater named Poli’s Palace. When you look at the outside it looks just like an old building that was once something important, but the inside is what is breathtaking. There is no doubt that everything about Poli’s Palace is amazing. It could be one of the most unique theaters around, just like in the 1900’s. once it became too expensive to continue to maintain, it was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. now Bridgeport has the opportunity to have this theater reopen and become a center for the arts once again. Let us explain how.

It would be a mistake to knock the theater down because it is a beautiful building and there is simply no need to. It is better to refurbish this beautiful space. We are planning to refurbish the theater but will still give patrons the old-fashioned, movie-goers experience. We are going to put a big billboard that will announce which movies are playing. We plan to refresh the facade and to make the building aesthetically pleasing from the street. The inside has very elaborate decorations and that is part of what makes this theater so special and unique. The old-fashioned vibe should always be there, so we are going to modernize the theater without taking its original look and feel away. We will put in new movie screens, new seats, carpets, and it will be re-painted. We would also add a snack bar. We will address health and safety concerns before it goes under any construction.

We will create an old-fashioned movie theater experience because it is more interesting going to a unique movie theater instead of going to just any ordinary theater. Just because new and better materials are created, it doesn’t mean that the old ones have to disappear. We live in a world where basically everything looks the same and it’s a nice change to see something different every once in a while.

FUTURE PLANS The building will have a new billboard that will show the movies that are playing as well as new doors and windows.

rendering by Justin

THE TEAM Shaniya Mowatt, Janiah Mcphail, Erin Reilly, Justin Blanchette

ThE PoLI PaLaCE ThEaTER

ThE BUILDING ToDay The front of the Poli Palace has a beautiful stone structure but needs work.

RENoVaTED moVIE ThEaTER

The Majestic Theater displays wonderful craftsmanship in the ornate carvings. The once beautiful stained glass windows are now all boarded up. now waiting for repairs, the Majestic opened in 1922 and was boarded up in 1971. There is fencing and barbed wire to protect and show where The Poli and Majestic Theaters divide.

PRESENT

ThE BUILDING ToDay The Majestic is currently waiting for repairs since it was boarded up in 1971.

sustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS Lend a helping hand is a shelter open to all in need. We provide three meals a day and a warm bed. It will be a home away from home.

artwork by Tracey

OUR PROPOSAL:WE WILL TURn ThE MAJESTIC, which is a broken down abandoned theater, into a shelter. The shelter is located on north Main Street and across from an abandoned green.The shelter will provide people with no place to go the opportunity to improve their lives. There will be a big sign that says, “Come on in if you need to restart your life. We will help you all the way!” It will be called Lend A helping hand. They will not have to pay any rent, and in return, they will work in the shelter by cleaning, cooking and performing chores to help the facility. We welcome people from different educational backgrounds. If the shelter is established in Bridgeport, it will give the citizens of Bridgeport who are struggling a chance to go out into the world and contribute to society. We will make improvements to The Majestic. The exterior of the shelter will remain as it currently is with only minor repairs. The interior will be renovated to accommodate small basic rooms, each including a bed and dresser. There will be larger rooms to accommodate families. Added to that, there will be playgrounds for children and classrooms in which basic skills are taught such as plumbing, electrical work, cosmetology, and carpentry. These classes will be available to those who are associated with the shelter and anyone who is willing to work to make money.

The Shelter will open the door to a new life. The shelter will provide people who are down on their luck a place to stay while they are working on starting over. This will be beneficial to Bridgeport because it will help people who may currently live on the streets. Also, it will give people the skills necessary to obtain a job in the community, which will then give the people of Bridgeport the financial means to purchase goods and services.

FUTURE PLANS The refurbished building will have a new billboard above it, and we will restore the architecture back to its original glory.

rendering by Sisso

THE TEAM Michael Draper, Isaiah Shelton, Sisso Makhraz, Tracey Small, Rachael Anzalone

ThE majESTIC ThEaTER

LEND a hELPING haND ShELTER

These pictures show weeds, litter, and the emptiness of the lot. To the right is an abandoned building with graffiti. The building to the left is a housing complex for the elderly, and every day they look out their windows to the deserted lot. one picture shows the view of the once beautiful Majestic Theater overlooking the abandoned lot that once had life. The conveniently located bus stop, which could make so much business, is abandoned, but it soon will have life. This is an example of two abandoned buildings that could potentially help the empty lot.

PRESENT

ThE LoT ToDay The space is currently abandoned and empty and can be better utilized for Bridgeport’s community.

sustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS This will be a three-part building. one section will be apartments, another section will be a restaurant, and the last section will be stores. This is a good idea because it has all the necessities in one location. This will help Bridgeport by providing jobs for people in the community.

artwork by Carlos

OUR PROPOSAL:oUR GRoUP hAS DECIDED that the best thing for Bridgeport would be to build an apartment complex in the empty lot across from the Majestic Theater. This will be a challenge, but it will provide many opportunities for the people of Bridgeport. In addition, a community will form out of the jobs and housing provided by the building.

The current condition of the property is not the best. The land is empty and abandoned, and it is not being used for anything. There are multiple pieces of litter that could be labeled as hazardous. on the left of the lot is an abandoned building and on the right, a housing complex.

We propose to create a building in this empty lot to help the city of Bridgeport. There will be apartments on the second floor of the building and a small set of boutique shops with different stores on the main floor. These may include a tailoring or tuxedo shop, a small drugstore, a deli/sandwich shop, and a boutique shop.

The apartments will be inexpensive and a nice place to live. A modern lobby will greet people in the front of the building. The apartments themselves will be single bedroom/bath and will be perfect for single, young professionals. Anyone who lives in the building or around it will have the advantage of being very close to a unique shopping experience. A restaurant/bar will provide a dining and social experience not only for the people who live in the building but for anyone who would like a night out.

Bridgeport will gain many benefits from this building. The new stores and apartments will draw in young professionals. Businesses will want to come to Bridgeport because of the growing number of young people. The city will gain revenue because more people will come to Bridgeport. All these elements will contribute to making the city of Bridgeport up-to-date, creative, interesting and all-around better.

FUTURE PLANS This rendering displays our plan for the future of the lot. The apartments are above the first floor shops, and there is a restaurant in the back.

rendering by olivia

THE TEAM olivia Albenze, Max Kaufman, Sean McKenzie, Carlos Vazquez

EmPTy LoT aCRoSS fRom ThE majESTIC ThEaTER

aPaRTmENT ComPLEx

The abandoned building on Main Street between Gold and Congress Streets still shows an ad for an upholstery company called Davidsons and once was a boys club. From years of sitting empty, there are broken windows, decaying bricks, and dust and debris. on one side of the building there is colorful graffiti.

PRESENT

ThE BUILDING ToDay After years of neglect, the building is in desperate need of repair.

sustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS The school will be a place for kids to be creative. The building itself will be creatively designed with interesting diamond windows and colorful and educational graffiti. Students will have an exhilarating place to learn.

artwork by Ajanae

OUR PROPOSAL:WE BELIEVE ThE ABAnDonED BUILDInG on Main Street, between Gold Street and Congress Street, would better serve Bridgeport if renovated. The current condition of the property is that the windows are broken, the roof is caving in and there is dust and debris throughout the entire building. Additionally, the property has garbage scattered everywhere. This creates an eyesore in Bridgeport.

To make it a valuable part of the community, we will make a school that specializes in the arts. We will knock down the current building and then build a new one. It is fine to knock down the current building because it is unattractive, old, and the space would not work well as a school.

The new school will have many opportunities for students. There will be dance classes including jazz, hip hop, classical ballet, Irish step and tap. Also there will be art rooms for studies in sculpture, graphics, painting and drawing. In addition, there will be space for musical theater. All these features would create a perfect learning environment for any student who wants to study dance, art or theater.

If we changed the abandoned building into a school, it would serve many people. For one thing, it would provide a place for people to focus their studies on the arts. Also, it would make a more diverse community of dancers, actors and musicians. The central location provides yet another great benefit; students could easily have a way to get to school by train or bus. It also could help the BGreen Initiative by adding school-maintained garden and solar panels for electricity. To conclude, making this school would benefit the community by adding beauty, diversity and eco-friendly aspects.

FUTURE PLANS We will make a new school with a playground, solar panels and a garden.

rendering by Gwyneth

THE TEAM Gwyneth Feroleto, Ajanae Bullock, Abner Torres, Geniaya Stinston

maIN ST. BETWEEN GoLD aND CoNGRESS

SPECIaLIZED aRTS SChooL

our vacant lot is a garage which is closed in by a gate with plants growing on each side. Green moss is growing inside the bricks, and a light post is hanging from the garage. our building stands in front of another abandoned building. There is pavement in front of the building. The pavement is covered in algae, plants and moss and surrounded by trash and dirt.

PRESENTsustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS It is not every day you see a farmers’ market in the middle of a busy city. This picture shows our plans for turning the courtyard into a place where people can get something good to eat or buy fresh local produce.

artwork by Isaiah

OUR PROPOSAL:ThE FoCUS oF oUR PRoPoSAL IS ThE CoURTyARD north of Golden hill on Main Street in Bridgeport. The outside of the courtyard is dark and contains an old garage with graffiti on it. We plan on turning it into a year-round market with fresh fruits and vegetables. on the days when it is closed, the market will be used as a studio for artists. Upon completion, this building would give Bridgeport residents the opportunity to eat healthy and give local farmers the option to bring in their fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, this building will be an inspiring and peaceful place for artists. It will be an urban marketplace and a tranquil studio.

Right now the courtyard appears old, beat up, abandoned, and dark. The outside of the courtyard is covered in algae and concrete. The courtyard will transform into a building that will bring or attract other businesses to occupy neighboring buildings. In order to transform this structure into an attractive building, we will add a glass ceiling and front glass wall to enclose the courtyard during the winter months. To open the space in spring and summer, panels will be installed that will retract and bring in customers. The market itself will run on solar-powered lights. This idea will bring in money and it will keep the building from becoming abandoned again.

In an effort to be sustainable, we will plant many trees, flowers and plants. The BGreen 2020 Initiative has encouraged Bridgeport to “Be Green.” The building will be a year-round market. It will be serving free-range eggs, freshly baked bread and milk. In the spring and summer time, fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms will be available. In the winter, we will be selling Christmas trees. In the autumn season, we will sell pumpkins and seasonal vegetables. Locally made crafts will also be sold year-round.

We plan to put two small plants next to the opening and put small stalls on the left and right sides of the walkway, so people can display their vegetables for sale. These stalls can be rented by farmers for a small fee. We will also install a watering system so the vegetables and fruits stay healthy. The pathway into the market will be gravel with flowers all along, to go with the BGreen initiative. This farmers’ market will benefit the community by making Bridgeport healthier. The market will provide health-conscious professionals who are seeking healthier lifestyles a better food choice. It will also provide local farmers with a marketplace to sell their produce.

FUTURE PLANS our courtyard is an eco-friendly, glass-covered, year-round farmers’ market. The courtyard will provide Bridgeport with healthier lifestyle choices. Also, on the off-days, our building will be used for a tranquil studio for inspiring artists to work.

rendering by Jessica

THE TEAM Isaiah Bendolph, Jaeden McKenzie, Mekhia henry, Kenyatta Moore, Jessica Anzalone, nyasia Reid

ThE CoURTyaRD NoRTh of GoLDEN hILL ST.

ThE CoURTyaRD ToDay The courtyard has been vacant for many years and needs a lot of work to make it usable.

faRmERS’ maRKET

These photographs show the parts of all of the old, abandoned lots and buildings. This art was created by the people of Bridgeport in 2011. We decided not to keep all of the graffiti to promote a positive influence on the city’s image. The mural shows the electric company’s red and white smoke stack that you can see from the interstate, the Corsair airplane built in Stratford, CT, and a picture of P.T. Barnum. one-hundred years ago, the alley may have been used as access to the basements of the buildings or shelters during wartime.

PRESENT

ThE CoURTyaRD ToDay Although there has been some work done, it is still in need of improvement.

sustainable C I T I E S

f U T U R E

FUTURE PLANS The Apple Plan is a farmers’ market producing all kinds of apple products like apple cider, apple sauce, fresh apple pie and our famous apple sauces: 25 flavors! open all year long.

drawing by Jalen

OUR PROPOSAL:In BRIDGEPoRT ThERE IS A SMALL CoURTyARD with beautiful artwork spray painted onto the walls of the surrounding buildings. The courtyard has two small trees and some rocks, but it’s mostly empty. There is a narrow, blocked off alley with plants growing all over the walls and stairs.This space is being wasted by not having anything there. By building here, we can benefit Bridgeport by creating something new.

The first thing we will do is tear down the rocks and plant new grass so it looks nicer. We will plant trees, too. Removing the gate that blocks the alley and getting rid of the plants and stairs will open up the alley to be used. We will install windows in the sides of the buildings that face the alley and add kitchens inside, then create restaurants that will serve burgers, hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches, pretzels, ice cream, coffee, and drinks. In the courtyard we will put picnic tables and a stage where anyone can go up to perform. We will put lights out for dinnertime and a canopy to protect from rain and hot sun in the summer.

This will improve and help Bridgeport because it will bring in customers looking for food and entertainment. As well as a food court, there will be a stage for live music, entertainment, and local artists, who will add to the unique culture of the area. Also, it won’t cost a lot of money. Since there is not a lot of structure to demolish, this will allow more space in the budget for advertising and generating jobs. This project will bring something exciting and new to Bridgeport, so it should attract a lot of customers. We are sure this will benefit Bridgeport, and that’s why we think this project should be carried out.

FUTURE PLANS The courtyard will be renovated into a food court with a stage for entertainment.

rendering by hannah

THE TEAM yahlexis Cuevas, Jalen Benne, Michael Proto, Jadibeth Retamar, hannah Kehoe

ThE CoURTyaRD

ThE aPPLE PLaN faRmERS’ maRKET