The Connecticut CCIM chapter March membership meeting was hosted by past president, Jack Lynch, CCIM, at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn . We were in the Stat Club, which was a high line party area for up to 200 people and in line with all the private hospitality suites. Jack Lynch explained to us the business of hockey and concert hospitality and some of the uses of the real estate, which also includes the baseball stadium next door.
Guest speaker, David Kooris, Bridgeport city director, in my estimation, wowed the audience with the techniques, opinions and the strategy that Bridgeport is undertaking. An interesting topic was that Bass Pro Shops will be building a 250,000 s/f retail store on Steele Point, which is a 50-acre piece of property on and off again in the development pipeline for many years and now finally moving along. Kooris also talked about the Geo Park, an industrial park hosting many green industries.
After a lot of very in depth questioning from the attendees, the group which included CCIM's bankers from Webster, a new associate member, Sharon Mansfield of Naugatuck Savings Bank and our affiliate, Attorney Ed Hill, CRE. President Fred Petrella, CCIM, also spoke to the attendees.
After the meeting, we met for libations and hors d'oeuvres, and attended avery interesting hockey game which included a pretty good brawl, which we could see from the largest big screen TV I've ever witnessed in quite a while.
To those CCIM's and affiliates, if you're missing these meetings, you're missing out on a real chance to get educated, have fun and make a deal.
Tom Hill III, CCIM/SIOR is owner/broker of Tom Hill Realty & Investment, LLC, Waterbury, Conn.