An online petition to save Bridgeport’s so-called candy cane smokestack had garnered nearly 300 signatures as of Friday morning.
The iconic red and white smokestack is part of the old coal-fired power plant. It’s scheduled to be torn down in April of next year, as part of a push to redevelop the site in the south end in the next three years.
However, some, including Mayor Joe Ganim (D), have argued that the city should preserve the smokestack as a testament to its industrial heritage. Others say it should be torn down because it represents a history of environmental pollution and the health issues that came from it.
Harrison Gordon, a 22-year-old photographer from Bridgeport, started the petition to keep the structure.
“Rather than viewing the smokestack as a relic, we can reimagine it as an anchor for a modern, multiuse waterfront district—one that blends housing, recreation, retail, dining, and public space with a visual landmark that residents already identify with home,” the petition says.
The decision is ultimately up to the property's new owner, Bridgeport Station Development.
