Last Thursday, August 6, The August at Steelpointe Harbor officially opened its doors, bringing together state and local leaders, development partners, community members, residents, and guests to celebrate a major milestone in the transformation of Bridgeport’s waterfront.
The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of the first residential phase of the Steelpointe Harbor master plan and celebrated the vision, collaboration and investment that brought 420 new apartment homes to the waterfront.
The event drew approximately 200 guests, including Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim, who joined representatives from Flaherty & Collins Properties, RCI Group and the broader Steelpointe Harbor development team for the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Following the ceremony, guests toured the community and experienced The August’s waterfront amenities, residences and gathering spaces during an afternoon open house.
For a project that has been decades in the making, the celebration represented more than the opening of a new apartment community. It represented a renewed connection between Bridgeport and its waterfront.
“We’re actually celebrating a major milestone where people can be here, can enjoy the waterfront that’s been cut off to them for over 100 years,” said Robert Christoph Jr., president of BLD and a member of the development team.
Governor Lamont echoed the significance of the transformation, describing the redevelopment as an opportunity to create a place where people can live and businesses can grow.
“You saw a place right here that was empty for a long, long time, an old power plant and then you saw what this could be,” Lamont said. “This amazing waterfront property, opening it up for everybody.”
The August includes 160 workforce housing residences through Connecticut’s Build For CT initiative, expanding access to high-quality waterfront housing for middle-income households. According to Nandini Natarajan, CEO of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the project’s affordability component is an important part of its community impact.
“This development does bring as many as 160 units of housing that are affordable to middle-income households,” Natarajan said.
Those units are expected to provide nearly $800,000 in total rent savings for qualifying middle-income households, according to reporting from the Connecticut Post.
Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim also highlighted the broader economic and community impact of the development.
“This is part of a journey for Bridgeport in a direction that’s seeing not only a creation of jobs, a growth of grand list and the beautification and enhancements of neighborhoods throughout the city but accenting what we know are some of our strengths and this waterfront is one of them,” Ganim said.
Community leaders emphasized that The August is helping write a new chapter for an area with deep roots in Bridgeport’s history.
“This luxurious apartment community is more than just a beautiful place,” said Bridgeport City Council President Jeanette Herron. “It’s a place to live, enjoy our residents, develop and create new opportunities and shape the future of our city.”
Tatiana Urena, president of the East Side Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, similarly spoke to the significance of reinvesting in the waterfront.
“This waterfront has always been an important part of our city’s story,” Urena said. “For generations, people worked here, businesses grew here and this area played a role in building Bridgeport into the city it is today. Today we’re seeing a new chapter, one that respects the past while creating opportunities for the future.”
The August represents a significant investment in that future. The first phase is part of a larger Steelpointe Harbor master plan envisioned to ultimately include approximately 1,500 residential units. Construction is already underway on the next phase, which is planned to include a 14- to 16-story building with approximately 300 additional residences.
For Flaherty & Collins Properties, which oversaw the development and will manage and operate The August, the grand opening was an opportunity to celebrate the culmination of years of collaboration with RCI Group, state and local agencies, financial partners, contractors and the Bridgeport community.
The August’s opening also marks the beginning of its next chapter: welcoming residents home and becoming an active part of the Bridgeport community.
With its waterfront setting, thoughtfully designed residences, extensive amenities and workforce housing opportunities, The August is positioned to bring new residents, activity and investment to Steelpointe Harbor while contributing to the continued revitalization of Bridgeport’s East Side.
As guests gathered along the waterfront last Thursday to cut the ribbon, the significance of the moment was clear: The August is not simply a new place to live. It is a visible sign of what is possible when public and private partners share a vision for the future.
And for Bridgeport, that future is taking shape along the water.
