Bridgeport Landing Announcement by Governor Rell March 27, 2006 Paul Timpanelli's remarks: Good afternoon. The sky is blue, the sun is shining and welcome to Bridgeport’s East Side for the long awaited announcement of yet another partnership between the City of Bridgeport, the State of Connecticut, and the private investment community! Welcome to the site of what is anticipated to be the long-sought, long-awaited, long-pursued, long-needed, development that will ultimately change the skyline of this city, change the image of this city, change the value of this city, and change the competitive position of this city. Believe it or not this critical project for Bridgeport has been almost 20 years in the making. Today, March 27, 2006, we will now use as the day that it finally began because now, the required partnership has been created. Certainly we in the business community do not intend to suggest that Bridgeport Landing –as this project will be known – is the long-awaited Silver Bullet because clearly there is no silver bullet when it comes to urban revitalization. There is no one project that will be Bridgeport’s savior. But this project – Bridgeport Landing - will ultimately result in renewed confidence, renewed investment, and a renewed jobs and tax base growth environment that will enable, foster, and encourage all else. Governor Rell, on behalf of an extremly grateful business community that I represent, we thank you for your willingness to recognize this unique opportunity, your leadership in understanding Bridgeport’s public investment needs, and your steadfast and important desire to be supportive of a vision for a new day in this, Connecticut’s largest city. The Steelpoint development project is key to the ultimate revitalization of Bridgeport. It’s location – on the waterfont, between two rivers and on I-95 puts it in a position ultimately to change the image of our city. Most  important, the state investment that you will talk about today represents your confidence, as Governor, in the ability of this city to get the job done. Your commitment, Governor, sends a loud and clear message to the investment world, the development world, and the political world that Bridgeport has its act together and is ready to move forward. I am proud to call you Governor, I am proud to have the opportunity to say thank you, and I am proud to say to those that have joind us today, that we have a friend in you. Friends of Bridgeport, I ask you to send a clear message of thanks as I introduce to you the Governor of the State of Connecticut, M. Jodi Rell. INTRO OF SPEAKER AMANN It’s a great day for Bridgeport and our region when we could have with us not only the Governor of our State but, at the same time, the speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker Amann, in your short tenure as Speaker, you have clearly demonstrated your commitment to doing what is right and what is needed for Bridgeport. We are grateful to you and we are thankful that this is  the city where you were born and where you have your roots. It’s my understanding that it is not far from the site on which we are now standing that your family lived. It is my hope that 5-10 years from now you could bring your family back here to bask in the glow of a development that will transform your old neighborhood into a beacon of growth for this city. Speaker Amann, a gratful community thanks you. I give to you a friend ofBridgeport, the Speaker of the House Jim Amann. INTRO OF MAYOR No small thanks, Governor and Mr. Speaker, goes to our Mayor. No one can deny his passion for this city, no one can dispute his commitment to making a better world for the people that live and work here, and no one can fault his desire to make Bridgeport a better  place. His leadership and your leadership has resulted in this day. Again on behalf of a grateful community, I give you the Man that we are  proud to call Mayor, John Fabrizi.