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www.CTGreenGuide.com Fall 2014 • Connecticut Green Guide 25 Bridgeport mayor pushes conservation By Brad Kane B ill Finch knows his generation screwed up. The Baby Boomers grew the economy and pushed the country to new heights in business, but the generation didn't focus on the environmental impact until the damage was done. "We need to stop wasting our environmental resources, so we can stop cooking the planet," said Finch. Nowhere is this need for a change in think- ing more apparent than Bridgeport, where relocated and closed up businesses, particularly manufacturers, have left tracts of vacant prop- erties, often with environmental contamina- tion. So, since taking over as Bridgeport mayor in 2007, Finch has made conservation a priority — cleaning up blight, turning properties back to positive use, forging the BGreen 2020 initia- tive, and making the city a haven for renewable technology and green business. "My people in Bridgeport really need jobs, and the green Eco-Technology Park got about $10 million in payroll added in just the last year," Finch said. The Eco-Technology Park is being built on the remnants of the city's historic manufactur- ing base in the south and west ends of the city, designed as a place for businesses performing eco-friendly services like mattress recycling or selling products that are better for the environ- ment than competitors, such as a permeable paving made from recycled tires. "It has been very fruitful," said Adrienne Houle, president of the board of Park City Green, the mattress recycler at the eco-park. "It has been very useful working with the city." BGreen 2020 inFo: Formed as a partnership between the city of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport regional Business Council, the initiative aims to use the city's exist- ing strengths to create wealth, revitalize neighbor- hoods, and retain historic character. Founded: 2010 Highlights: • Focus on transit and complete streets for bikers/walkers to reduce motor vehicle usage. • A youth Conversation Corp. of high schoolers going door- to-door to tell residents ways to save money and help the environment. • Favorable zoning to encourage green business development. • A parks plan to make waterfront, greenery, and open space accessible to every resident. Green Fact: While using natural gas, fuel cells emit practically zero greenhouse gases because they generate electricity using a chemical process where water is the main byproduct. SourCE: u.S. DEPArTMEnT oF EnErGy The BGreen 2020 initiative played a role in bringing new businesses into Bridgeport, including Connecticut BioFuels in 2011. PhoTo | PaBlo roBles