The Bridgeport News

by Jeff Toquinto, NEWS EDITOR

Bridgeport (Thursday, September 14, 2004)

Members of Bridgeport City Council signed off Monday night on the design concept for the soon-to-be-built Bridgeport Conference Center that will be located at the Charles Pointe development.

With council giving its OK on the design, architects for the $3 million project can now begin to prepare construction documents.

Mike Hager, director of resort and leisure services for Genesis Partners, the group handling the overall development of Charles Pointe, said the hope is to have the project set out for bid in mid-October, with bids back by mid-November.

Bridgeport City Manager Kim Haws said the 15,026-square-foot conference center will likely have a six-month build out. He hopes for an end-of-May completion date.

Haws and Hager are also hopeful the conference center will be complete at the same time as the $8.7 million Wingate Inn. The conference center will tie in with the hotel.

"We think the concept (that was approved) will fall in line with the design of the Wingate Inn," said Hager. "The two buildings should complement one another."

Along with approval of the design concept, it was announced that foundation drilling for the Wingate Inn will begin Wednesday.

The drilling will come the same day Gov. Bob Wise will be on hand for a ceremony at the site. City officials weren’t certain if the 10 a.m. ceremony was to commemorate the project or the awarding of $6 million in grant money – including $1.5 million for the conference center – earlier this year to a pair of projects at Charles Pointe. ...