ENTERTAINMENT FACILITY, PROFESSIONAL SPORTS OPERATION, or Similar Use at TOTAL MORTGAGE AREA

The City of Bridgeport Office of Planning and Economic Development, in partnership with the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, seeks proposals for the reuse, redevelopment, and operation of the Total Mortgage Arena -- the municipally owned, 10,000 seat, multipurpose regional entertainment and sports venue located in the heart of downtown Bridgeport. A landmark in southwestern Connecticut, the Arena has served as the home ice for the American Hockey League affiliate of the Bridgeport Islanders for the past 25 years. It has also hosted many storied concerts, family shows, and regional events. Such musical greats as Elton John and Andrea Bocelli have graced the stage. Big names like Kevin Hart and Katt Williams have brought the laughs. Large scale touring productions have called the Arena home: Disney on Ice, the Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Professional Bull Riders Tour, the Harlem Globetrotters. Many Connecticut families have also attended community events and graduations at the facility. Twinned with the iconic, open-air, 6,000 seat Hartford Health Care Amphitheater, the Arena anchors the City's reputation as the region's year-round hub for big name entertainment and community celebrations. Now it is time to write the next chapter in the Arena's history. The State of Connecticut and the City of Bridgeport stand ready in partnership and with capital support. The City seeks developers and operators who are ready to rejuvenate the facility: to generate jobs and economic impact, to strengthen Connecticut's tourism economy, to enhance the City's transit-oriented development opportunities, and to deliver equitable community benefits to Bridgeport residents and surrounding neighborhoods.