BRIDGEPORT, Conn — It seems fitting that the soon to be complete amphitheater in Bridgeport would have train tracks on the perimeter of the property as its developer believes this boutique concert venue will be the economic engine that could.
"The consultants forecasted an economic impact of over $50 million a year for the City of Bridgeport," said Howard Saffan, the developer of the yet to be named amphitheater.
Saffan adds that the project actually benefited from the pandemic.
"We had an extra year to build, which is incredibly helpful," said Saffan. "We made major improvements within the venue once we saw we had time."
Saffan says most of the former baseball stadium's suits are spoken for.
"Most of our club seats are gone already and we’ve been blessed with sponsorship," said Saffan.
The largest stationary stage in Connecticut sits where the second base was when this was the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, home to the Bridgeport Bluefish for 20 years.
"The venue itself sits 5,700 people," said Saffan. "So, it’s boutique. It’s intimate and every seat is an amazing seat."
2,600 of those people will be seated on the floor, where they are turning the former dugouts into beer bars.
"So, there will be 10 bartenders in each dugout," said Saffan. "So, we still have the feel of a baseball stadium."
And neither rain nor heat should have much of an impact.
"95% of the amphitheater itself is protected by a tensile membrane roof, which you can see behind me that they’re fabricating right now," he said.
This is the first of what is likely to be many amphitheaters of its kind given Major League Baseball's reduction of its number of minor league teams.
"Our graduations start on May 15 and we have 10 graduations here and then we'll transition based on the governor to concerts," Saffan said.
The aim is to start concerts in June.