An architect's rendering shows The August 420-unit development planned for Bridgeport's Steelpointe Harbor development. Image courtesy of Flaherty & Collins Properties
With construction underway on a luxury apartment complex, the developers behind Bridgeport’s Steelpointe Harbor have struck a deal with a hotel operator to add lodgings to the property.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim’s office announced the deal between Bridgeport Landing Development LLC and True North Hotel Group Wednesday. The hotel will be the city’s only one, after the downtown Holiday Inn closed in January 2022 for conversion into extended-stay suites.
The 20-year-old True North is based in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and owns a variety of mainstream-brand hotels from Boston to Klamath Falls, Oregon.
“I want to extend my gratitude to True North Hotel Group Inc. for choosing Bridgeport as its newest destination for a Marriott Residence hotel,” Ganim said in a statement. “Having a Marriott company plant a flag in Bridgeport is a huge validation of the progress and visible recognition that Bridgeport is ‘on the move’, attracting First Class international companies to invest here. This new development will be a great addition to Bridgeport and will complement the housing that is currently under construction at Steelpointe Harbor. Our waterfront is truly remarkable and we look forward to sharing a piece of Bridgeport’s cultural beauty with visitors.”
The hotel will be branded as a Residence Inn by Mariott and have 135 rooms. The project located on a triangular parcel of land between East Main and Pembroke streets, bordering Stratford Avenue, a short walk from the city’s Metro-North train station and a short drive from both the city’s new outdoor concert venue and basketball stadium.
The development already has city approvals and construction will start next year, Ganim’s office said.
“This is a great development; we are thrilled to be coming to Steelpointe Harbor. This hotel will provide a first-class experience for our guests and help bring more visitors to the waterfront and this inviting harbor-side community,” True North Vice President of Development Chris Harlow said in a statement. “Entertainment venues such as Bass Pro Shops and a mix of residential, restaurant, retail, and commercial uses create a diverse, livable, pedestrian-friendly environment. All of this is just a stroll away from trains, a new amphitheater, and an arena. We are confident that this hotel will be well received by visitors and are proud to be coming to the heart of Bridgeport’s renaissance to serve the community and the region.”
Bridgeport Landing broke ground in January on The August, a 420-unit luxury rental complex that will rise across East Main Street from the planned hotel and next to an existing marina and waterfront restaurant building. The former industrial brownfield site also has a Bass Pro Shops location and a retail outbuilding whose storefronts are leased to Starbucks, Chipotle and T-Moblie, both completed before the pandemic.
“I’m so proud to be able to partner with the True North Hotel Group Inc. and Marriott to bring a new, state-of-the-art hotel to Steelpointe,” developer Bobby Christoph Jr. said in a statement. “Bridgeport deserves its own hotel, and I’m so glad we will be building it here on-site. With construction underway on our first 400 plus units of housing and retail, it’s exciting to begin this next development phase.”
