Bridgeport City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of each month. Considering the fourth Monday this year falls on Christmas day, the city’s governing body opted to change the date.

 

Although Council has occasionally canceled the meeting in year’s past, this time around they have millions of reason to hold the second meeting. That meeting will be held this coming Monday, Dec. 18, at the Bridgeport Municipal Complex.

 

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. There will be no work session and only one item on the agenda.

 

Council will be asked to approve an ordinance on second reading to purchase roughly 24 acres from Ann’s Run Limited Liability Company for a cost of roughly $4 million. There is also an in-kind donation of land that will add roughly 12 more acres as part of the ordinance. When this land is added to the land already in place, the complex will cover an impressive 125 acres.

 

“The purchase of this additional property for the indoor recreational complex is going to allow us to add additional outdoor components to the complex,” said City Clerk Andrea Kerr. “If the concept moves forward, we’re looking at possibly having between four and six multi-purpose fields for things such as soccer.

 

“When you look at the aerial renderings of what’s already in place and what’s proposed, it’s really amazing,” Kerr continued. “This is truly going to be a one-of-a-kind, huge complex.”

 

The renderings of what the additional acreage could be used for was shown by Richard Forren, an architect with Omni Associates who is designing the indoor facility and the conceptual work on the additional acreage that will likely be acquired.

 

At this past Monday’s Council meeting Mayor Andy Lang said he believes ground will be broken in 2018. The facility’s timeline to be open, he said, is 2020. As for what all will be included in the indoor site and on the new acreage that is up for final discussion Monday, Kerr said that has not yet been officially finalized.

 

What has been finalized is that the city can finance, through bonds, up to $35 million for the facility. The complex, along with the $4 million for the property, is coming from the 1 percent sales tax enacted in the city in July of 2016.

 

Although there are no other items on the agenda, two things are listed if needed. Council could act upon budget revisions if needed or go into executive session following the meeting. Kerr said, as of now, she doesn’t believe either will be necessary.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows an aerial rendering of what the complex could look like with the additional acreage and facilities. City Clerk Andrea Kerr, who sits on the Recreation Complex Committee, is shown below.