The Bridgeport News

by Jeff Toquinto, NEWS EDITOR

Bridgeport (Thursday, September 11, 2003)

... Along with trick or treating issues, the city also moved ahead on a project that could benefit a proposed United Hospital Center along Interstate 79 and a planned conference center built by the city to be located at the Charles Pointe development.

Mayor Joe Timms told members of the Bridgeport City Council that a request for engineering proposals for construction of a water service system near the planned UHC site on the west side of I-79 is going out. The proposal is the precursor for construction of a water tank and the necessary infrastructure from that site to the area in and around the proposed UHC, as well as to the planned conference center at Charles Pointe.

The tank will be a 1 million gallon storage unit. Also, as part of the $1.5 million project, a new pump station and 9,000 linear feet of water and sewage lines will be installed.

The pump station will provide the necessary pressure for a fire suppression system that would be needed at a multistory UHC facility. It also would easily allow for water to reach the conference center.

"Even if UHC doesn’t happen and the conference center stays on hold, we’re pretty well committed to seeing this through," said City Manager Kim Haws. "That infrastructure is vital for development in that area."

Once the proposals are in and an engineer is selected , the project will clear another hurdle. The EDA grant was awarded in late September of 2002. Also, the city will have to acquire the necessary health permits and other state permits before proceeding much further. Those, said Haws, shouldn’t be too difficult of an issue. ...