This morning, I had the opportunity to tour the ongoing refurbishment project at Pleasure Beach with Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. This project will renovate the Seaview Dock and convert it into a fishing pier with tables, benches, and lighting, enabling the city to eventually reopen the once-popular Pleasure Beach in the future.
The Pleasure Beach amusement park was closed in 1966, and has been cut off from public access since the Seaview Dock bridge burned beyond repair during a fire in 1996.
Although the Seaview Dock improvement project is just one piece of the puzzle, the restoration and reopening of Pleasure Beach is essential to the revitalization of Bridgeport and the East End. This recreational jewel will bring industry into Bridgeport which, in turn, will lead to the creation of jobs and economic development within this once-great city.
To see pictures from my visit to the Pleasure Beach refurbishment project, click here.