Bridgeport residents, community activists, and city officials are leading an effort to find a new use for the former West End branch library (1922). A gateway building at the intersection of State Street and Fairfield Avenue, the building has been a bank and a youth center since the library closed in the 1990s. It’s also near the Cherry Street Lofts, a conversion project currently underway in former factory buildings on Railroad Avenue.
The current owner, Bridgeport Triangle LLC of Woodbury, announced plans to demolish it in preparation for sale, but preservationists have launched conversations to find a workable alternative. One proposal is to find a nearby parcel to swap with the owner. Advocates are looking into possible State or National Register listing. The Connecticut Trust has been working to educate local supporters about alternatives to demolition.