Just a few weeks ago, the smokestack at the Bridgeport Harbor Station site was widely assumed to be headed for demolition. Then more than 1,600 of you signed this petition, bringing together what had long been a fragmented but deeply felt public response — and finally giving it a clear, unified voice.

Because of that momentum, we’ve now spoken with the developer, city officials, and community leaders. What’s become clear is this: the future of the site is still full of unanswered questions, yet demolition of the smokestack is one of the only concrete actions currently moving forward. That disconnect matters. It means a defining decision could be made before the public has truly had a chance to weigh in on what this site should become.

It also means that millions of taxpayer dollars are poised to be spent demolishing the smokestack, rather than maintaining it. Demolition is expensive, environmentally destructive, and irreversible. Preservation, by contrast, is far more sustainable: maintenance costs could take many years, if not decades, to approach the cost of demolition, while simultaneously creating far greater long-term economic value through placemaking, tourism, and investment interest.

The City already recognizes the smokestack’s symbolic and economic potential. What matters next is showing the State and the developer that the public does too — and that this decision should not be treated as a foregone conclusion.

In the past, there were meetings and online discussions about the site, but they never translated into broad, meaningful community input. This is that moment. This is a real opportunity to influence what happens before something irreplaceable is lost.

To do that, we need more voices — especially from Bridgeport residents and the South End, where the impacts of the power station were felt most directly.

Here’s how you can help right now:

• Share the petition with friends, family, or neighbors who live in Bridgeport  

• Talk with people in the South End and listen to what they want this site to represent  

  - If you live in the South End or Downtown, please reply to this email  

• Reply if you’d like to help with outreach, flyering, community events, or attending meetings  

• Contact the governor's office, telling them you'd like to see the demolition of the smokestack delayed.

• We would also like to hear from people on either side of the issue, whether supportive or opposed to the stack’s preservation. 

This effort is about more than one structure. It’s about stewardship of public dollars, respect for community memory, and whether Bridgeport chooses a future defined by vision rather than default decisions.

Thank you for being part of this.

— Harrison Gordon