The iconic candy cane smokestack in Bridgeport, Connecticut, stands as a testament to the city’s rich industrial past and acknowledges its more recent environmental injustices. This cherished landmark, reminiscent of Bridgeport’s vibrant history and cultural identity, faces total destruction imminently - demolition is planned for April 2026. Yet there is a clear path to preserve this structure while still unlocking the site’s economic potential!

Rather than viewing the smokestack as a relic, we can reimagine it as an anchor for a modern, multiuse waterfront district—one that blends housing, recreation, retail, dining, and public space with a visual landmark that residents already identify with home. It can stand as a reminder of the environmental injustices imposed on Bridgeport residents, as it poorly affected their health for decades. It can be an icon that says, "we have come a long way, and now we are working towards a cleaner, brighter future".  

Cities around the world have done this successfully.

1. Barcelona preserved the Three Chimneys of Sant Adrià and turned them into a symbol of their energy transition.
2. San Francisco is preserving their Potrero Power Station and redeveloping it into a new mixed use site
3. London has saved and reinvigorated its Battersea Power Station, among others, with mixed uses as well
4. Just miles from Bridgeport, Norwalk’s Manresa Island redevelopment is doing something even more interesting: keeping its smokestack and power-plant structures and transforming them into event spaces, educational facilities, public amenities, and a renewed coastal ecosystem.

→ These projects show how industrial remnants can become catalysts, not liabilities.

Bridgeport can choose that path. The candy cane stack has defined our skyline for 70 years. It can now speak to a new era—one that acknowledges our energy past while embracing clean redevelopment, public access to the waterfront, and a distinctive sense of place that no generic new build could replicate.

We ask city leaders, state officials, and the site’s developers to pursue this forward-looking alternative. Preserving the smokestack is not about nostalgia; it is about identity, value creation, and proving that redevelopment in Connecticut can honor history while shaping a better future. Further, we hope that the developers will be incentivized to construe a full cost-benefit analysis showing that they could cover the restoration and maintenance, and make an even larger profit than simply razing the stacks. 

Sign this petition to ensure that Bridgeport’s iconic smokestack remains standing—and remains part of the community’s story for generations to come.