[RogerAnthony]

For those of you who don't know, which seems to be a lot, Bridgeport has a minor league soccer team (Connecticut United FC) playing in a new stadium beginning in 2025. They are in MLS Next Pro, which is tier 3, so one level below Hartford Athletic who are tier 2.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

MLS would be great get for CT in either Hartford or Bridgeport. It compliments WNBA and AA Ball nicely.
Just keep it out of Stamford, we don’t need all that Messi traffic or whatever late stage career world class foreign player visits on the schedule

As noted in the Whalers thread, much like the Bruins and the Rangers, Kraft and City Football Group aren’t going to let a team locate in between them.

Besides, MLS expansion fees are over $500 million now. Who would pay that for a Hartford based franchise.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by robr2

As noted in the Whalers thread, much like the Bruins and the Rangers, Kraft and City Football Group aren’t going to let a team locate in between them.

Besides, MLS expansion fees are over $500 million now. Who would pay that for a Hartford based franchise.

Meh, it’s soccer though. They should be happy for another team in the region.
Soccer, girls hoops, minor league ball, Monster trucks, Mickey Mouse on Ice, Styx and Foreigner, all work great in Hartford

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

Maybe it has been for a while but never made it to reality. Much of Bridgeport isn’t liked by modern people, at least not as a place to live. I also don’t think Bridgeport is very attractive for companies to put up shop, an office or a headquarters. It has become that basically the people that move there for the most part don’t have much of a choice, because more often than not anyone that can choose any of the surrounding towns in lower Fairfield County typically will do so. As everybody knows, right now Bridgeport isn’t the most ideal place. In fact, one of the reasons it has many unbuilt places is due to the city having problems attracting developers from outside of town. That may change in the near future, but I doubt it.

Not necessarily true. Black Rock is still very desirable and believe it or not some prefer it.

Also I have a friend that lives in downtown Bridgeport and absolutely loves it. And he and his wife don’t have to live there. They certainly can afford the suburbs or even lower Fairfield County. He works for a major media outlet in New York and they sold their beautiful home in Fairfield when their kids left home. They took an apartment in one of the new builds downtown and now don’t want to live anywhere else. He raves about the restaurants (Joseph’s, Ralph & Richie’s, etc.) which they’ve become regulars at, as well as the entertainment at the Downtown Cabaret, Stress Factory, the Total Mortgage Arena, The Klein Memorial and now the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater. They are always going to these. Plus he loves seeing the progress being made on redeveloping downtown. He loves how they are preserving the old buildings there.

[1000fc]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

It can be done IMO, with a modest state investment, and the city needs a shot in the arm.

It CANNOT be done though w/o state funding.

I am not thinking we can get a pro team, but even one that is a few rungs down would be the best news the city got..in decades.

this is already happening, they are in the 3rd tier.

"MLS NEXT Pro today announced the addition of a new independent club to the League: Connecticut United Football Club joins MLS NEXT Pro with a target start date of 2025. Based in Bridgeport, Connecticut United is the fifth independent team to be added to the League since its inaugural season in 2022."

" The City of Bridgeport’s Planning and Zoning Commission granted Connecticut Sports Group unanimous approval to develop a waterfront soccer stadium and mixed-use destination. The project encompasses a mix of residences, retail and dining space, community greens, a river walk and a hotel."

here is a video render of the stadium proposed:
https://www.ctunited.com/stadium

https://www.mlsnextpro.com/news/conn...eam-to-join-ml

what more do you want?

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by 1000fc

this is already happening, they are in the 3rd tier.

"MLS NEXT Pro today announced the addition of a new independent club to the League: Connecticut United Football Club joins MLS NEXT Pro with a target start date of 2025. Based in Bridgeport, Connecticut United is the fifth independent team to be added to the League since its inaugural season in 2022."

" The City of Bridgeport’s Planning and Zoning Commission granted Connecticut Sports Group unanimous approval to develop a waterfront soccer stadium and mixed-use destination. The project encompasses a mix of residences, retail and dining space, community greens, a river walk and a hotel."

here is a video render of the stadium proposed:
https://www.ctunited.com/stadium

https://www.mlsnextpro.com/news/conn...eam-to-join-ml

what more do you want?

funding, and w/o Blair Marketing. lol

[AntonioR]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Not necessarily true. Black Rock is still very desirable and believe it or not some prefer it.

Also I have a friend that lives in downtown Bridgeport and absolutely loves it. And he and his wife don’t have to live there. They certainly can afford the suburbs or even lower Fairfield County. He works for a major media outlet in New York and they sold their beautiful home in Fairfield when their kids left home. They took an apartment in one of the new builds downtown and now don’t want to live anywhere else. He raves about the restaurants (Joseph’s, Ralph & Richie’s, etc.) which they’ve become regulars at, as well as the entertainment at the Downtown Cabaret, Stress Factory, the Total Mortgage Arena, The Klein Memorial and now the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater. They are always going to these. Plus he loves seeing the progress being made on redeveloping downtown. He loves how they are preserving the old buildings there.

There are exceptions to every rule, but they don’t negate them.

With the current population of Bridgeport, 1% equals over 1,400 people. The average American knows about 600 people during their lifetimes and about 150 people at most at any given time.

Lets say everyone you know is the average of 150 and they all live in Bridgeport, we’re talking of about 0.1%. That is a neglible amount.

Black Rock accounts for about 6%. Downtown accounts for even less at around 2%.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

There are exceptions to every rule, but they don’t negate them.

With the current population of Bridgeport, 1% equals over 1,400 people. The average American knows about 600 people during their lifetimes and about 150 people at most at any given time.

Lets say everyone you know is the average of 150 and they all live in Bridgeport, we’re talking of about 0.1%. That is a neglible amount.

Black Rock accounts for about 6%. Downtown accounts for even less at around 2%.

Maybe but the point is there are people that choose to live in Bridgeport. It’s not nearly as bad as being portrayed