New $12 Million Steelpointe Harbor Gas Station, Car Wash Opens In Bridgeport's East End

BRIDGEPORT, CT — City, state and federal officials, developers and community leaders gathered Thursday to celebrate the opening of a new $12 million gas station, car wash and 24-hour convenience store at Steelpointe Harbor, marking another phase of redevelopment along Bridgeport's waterfront.

The facility includes vehicle and truck fueling, electric vehicle charging stations, food service and other amenities. The project also has created more than 30 jobs, including positions filled by residents of the surrounding East End neighborhood.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together Mayor Joe Ganim, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, state Sens. Bob Duff and Herron Gaston, City Council members, neighborhood representatives and business leaders.

Bobby Christoph, a principal of Bridgeport Landing Development, the company overseeing the Steelpointe Harbor redevelopment, described the project as an example of cooperation between private investors, government officials and the community.

"This is a true public-private partnership," Christoph said.

— Bobby Christoph. Photo credit: Alfred Branch/Patch

He credited neighborhood residents and local officials with advocating for services that had long been missing from the area.

"We want a gas station. We want a car wash. We want more restaurants. We want more food. We want a hotel," Christoph said, recounting requests from the community.

Christoph said the development team has worked to respond to those priorities while creating employment opportunities for Bridgeport residents.

He said one of the project's most significant accomplishments was hiring people from the East End, including residents who had attended neighborhood revitalization meetings and questioned whether the development would become a reality.

Ganim said the opening reflected years of work to transform former industrial property into a commercial and residential waterfront destination.

— Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim. Photo credit: Alfred Branch/Patch

The mayor credited developers, investors, community members and officials at the municipal, state and federal levels for helping advance the project.

He also pointed to additional housing and commercial development planned for Steelpointe Harbor, describing the gas station and car wash as another step in the area's transformation.

The gas station's operator, development partner Nurul Alam, said he first became interested in the property approximately four years ago while driving along Interstate 95.

He thanked the Christoph family and city officials for helping him pursue the investment, which he described as one of his largest projects.

— Nurul Alam. Photo credit: Alfred Branch/Patch

Construction took approximately 20 months, according to Alam, and he said he wanted the facility to become a destination where neighborhood residents could find everyday necessities and services.

He also said he had made customer feedback a priority, posting contact information to allow visitors to communicate complaints and suggestions directly to him.

Himes emphasized the project's employment opportunities and the importance of bringing basic services closer to residents.

He said the surrounding neighborhoods had lacked convenient access to a gas station for decades, forcing some residents to travel to Stratford to purchase fuel.

— U.S. Rep. Jim Himes. Photo credit: Alfred Branch/Patch

Himes also discussed the federal government's role in supporting large-scale redevelopment through infrastructure investments, including sewer systems, bridges and harbor improvements.

He urged officials and developers to maintain the pace of construction, particularly with additional housing planned for the waterfront.

"Let's do a lot more of this," Himes said.

Duff, a Norwalk Democrat and Senate majority leader, praised the continued redevelopment of Steelpointe Harbor and the cooperation among federal, state and local officials.

He also recognized Gaston, whose district includes the area, for advocating for jobs and economic development in Bridgeport.

— Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. Photo credit: Alfred Branch/Patch

Gaston said the opening demonstrated the city's ability to attract private investment and create opportunities for residents.

He thanked Christoph and the facility's investors, along with City Council members and neighborhood leaders who had advocated for the project.

Much of the ceremony focused on the East End's longstanding requests for neighborhood services and the importance of ensuring that local residents benefit from waterfront redevelopment.

Keith Williams, a leader of the East End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, said the gas station and car wash represented another step in the neighborhood's economic growth.

"The East End is on the move," Williams said.

City Council member Ernie Newton said neighborhood representatives had pressed developers to include a gas station and car wash because those services were essential to residents.

He said the new facility fulfilled part of that commitment but emphasized that additional work remains.

Newton identified improved public access to the waterfront as a priority, including a proposed crosswalk or connection from the East End toward Pleasure Beach.

"Now we're working on getting access to the waterfront," Newton said.

He said securing that access would be a goal for himself and fellow Council member Eneida Martinez.

Martinez also praised the project for providing jobs within walking distance of nearby homes.

She said residents had waited years for significant development in the neighborhood and welcomed the opportunity for local workers to participate in its economic growth.

— Bridgeport City Council members Ernie Newton and Eneida Martinez. Photo credit: Alfred Branch/Patch

Martinez pointed to additional projects expected at Steelpointe Harbor, including a future Dunkin' location, a Marriott hotel and more housing.

Those developments were discussed as future projects, with no specific opening or construction dates announced during the ceremony.

Representatives of the regional business community also praised the investment, citing both the jobs created at the facility and employment supported through construction contractors and suppliers.