Beyond demolishing 48 buildings to erect a jail in the center of downtown, there apparently are no formal plans. The state's Commission for Historic Preservation has requested full documentation on the project, but to date, the city has not responded. If the city is going to seize people's property and endanger their livelihoods and financial well-being, it ought to have an extraordinarily good reason. Only recently there have been shootings, and even a murder, at one of Bridgeport's courthouses. This is not the type of development that will improve Bridgeport's image with the surrounding communities, or make visitors want to linger in Bridgeport at night or on weekends.
Jails are a blight on the community.
People do not want to live, work or invest in areas adjacent to jails. For one thing, the acquisition and destruction of 48 large buildings takes an enormous chunk out of the city's tax base. This could very well mean an increase in your property taxes, which are already among the highest in the region. A courthouse and jail will add few, if any, new employment opportunities, and will never pay a cent in property taxes. If the city is seizing people's property through eminent domain, common decency demands that they should at least be allowed to know why.