Mayor Bill Finch hosted a grand opening celebration of Knowlton Park, located at 405 Knowlton St. on the former site of the Acme Sheer Co.
The grand opening was the culmination of several years of work to recapture the waterfront property along the Pequonnock River.
The steps to bring a waterfront park to the East Side began in 2009, when Acme United Corp. announced that it would donate its waterfront property at 459 Knowlton St. to the City of Bridgeport. The 2.4-acre site was previously a parking lot across the street from Acme's former scissor factory. The site had been vacant since 1993.
A year later, the city used a federally funded Neighborhood Stabilization Program to buy a vacant blighted industrial building that sat on 0.8 acres at 405 Knowlton St. That building was demolished in the summer of 2011.
Construction on phase one of the new park, at the intersection of Knowlton Street and Arctic Street was completed in the summer of 2012. Pre-cast benches and stainless steel chairs with tables that double as chess boards were installed in 2012.
Demolition of the rundown industrial property at 337 Knowlton St. began in January 2014 to make way for Phase Three of the park. The 1-acre property was donated to the city by MP Development.
With the grand opening on Saturday, June 6, the mayor’s vision for a new waterfront park in the East Side became a reality.
“This is much more than just a park. It’s a symbol for a city that is coming back, going for greatness,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
The new park includes a basketball court, playground, river walkway, pavilion and a pergola.
“We've renovated and created over 100 acres of parkland, and we're just getting started. Knowlton Park has already made a significant impact on this neighborhood, serving as a catalyst for a nicer community, thriving businesses, higher quality of life in the neighborhood, and giving hardworking Bridgeporters long overdue access to the waterfront,” said Finch.
Mitchell Clyne, of Fairfield, who owns property across the street from Knowlton Park, said he's thrilled with the change in the neighborhood, long characterized by industrial buildings and warehouses.
"When we first bought here six years ago, that entire park was overgrown with weeds, garbage and a beat-up fence," he said. "It was kind of scary."
Today, he said, the park has given the street a different feel. "You can see people when they get home from work, they take the dogs and go right to the park," he said.
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