The individual projects are in different areas downtown, including a desolate section of Main Street; the southeast corner of State Street and Lafayette Boulevard, and the now-vacant site of the former Pequonnock Apartments adjacent to the ballpark at Harbor Yard.

Details of the proposals were recently released by CHFA to the Connecticut Post under provisions of the state Freedom of Information Act. They include:

• 1184-1186 Main St., 1192-1198 Main St. and 179-205 Middle St., where Urban Green Equities of New York proposes a $62 million project, including 108 rental units, 30 owner-occupied units, 50 underground parking spaces and nearly 34,000 square feet of office and retail space.
• 375 Main St., where a group including former basketball great Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the Maryland-based Mid-City Urban LLC is proposing 110 new owner-occupied townhouses at a cost of nearly $36 million.
• 333 State St., where First National Development of Bridgeport is planning rehabilitation and new construction for 20 condominiums, 200 innovative parking spaces and 72,000 square feet of retail and office space at a cost of $9,250,000.

The award of the money is expected to be announced sometime in November or December. Mayor John M. Fabrizi said last week that he appreciates all three plans and is impressed with Fairfield-based GE's commitment to the city, where its Boston Avenue complex is still a major city taxpayer.

"I would like to see money go into all of the projects," Fabrizi said. "I think spreading that money around would not only be a benefit to Bridgeport but to the entire state of Connecticut."

Indeed, urban housing — near the new bus terminal, the Long Island ferry and rail hubs such as those in downtown Bridgeport — is one of the major goals of the "Smart Growth" philosophy promoted by state officials, including Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

"They're being reviewed by the underwriting staff and being discussed with the advisory council that GE convened," said Timothy Coppage, CHFA vice president for housing development. He said the goal of the GE funding is to promote so-called mixed-use development.

While the three projects all feature housing components, each is structured differently. The Main Street/Middle Street proposal would use all of GE's $25 million, $4.5 million in state Urban Act bonding, $17 million in further CHFA loans, nearly $5 million in tax credits, $7.5 million in deferred developer fees and $3.1 million in equity from Urban Green Equities (UGE).

Eric Anderson, UGE's principal, said last week that at this point, CHFA is in the due-diligence process, researching the track records of the various developers and thoroughly reviewing the plans and budgets.

"It's an extremely complicated financing structure," Anderson said. "I hope all the money goes to one project, but if it doesn't, we'll figure something out."

Anderson's firm has also developed the Arcade building on Main Street and the renovation of the City Trust building for new housing. His plans total more than a $100 million in an attempt to change the city's skyline.

"This is a very elegant solution," Anderson said. "GE has made a very significant investment for reasons that have an eye toward a larger social benefit. It's really a laudable investment."

The 333 State St. location applied for $8 million of GE's commitment, with an additional $1.25 million to come from First National Development principal Garfield Spencer.

The Pequonnock development site, recently announced during a high-profile visit to Bridgeport by NBA legend Johnson, would take $10 million from GE and would be funded along the way by proceeds of home sales in early phases paying for construction of the subsequent dwellings.

The giant, multi-national GE bought $25 million in taxable, 4 percent bonds that will provide the low-cost financing in the unprecedented private investment from the corporation's banking division. It's part of a GE plan to reinvest in environmentally sensitive and regionally oriented development.

Fabrizi said he hasn't requested additional state Urban Act bonding money, which is being held hostage in the partisan argument between majority Democrats in the General Assembly and the Republican governor who last week vetoed the two-year, $3.6 billion package of long-term capital projects.

Unlike the billion-dollar Adriaen's Landing development in downtown Hartford that was built primarily with state money, Fabrizi stressed that the Bridgeport plans would be overwhelmingly paid from private sources.

"We've been very responsible in our requests for bonding," Fabrizi said. "And we've demonstrated that we've used it responsibly."

Last week, Fabrizi and GE officials sat with the three developers and CHFA officials, reviewing project details for the eventual award of GE support. Further meetings are scheduled for this week.

"They are very, very serious at GE," Fabrizi said. "They want to ensure the money will be put to use for the benefit of Bridgeport for a long, long time to come. They're very responsible."

Indeed, the GE money would mean less need for both state and private funding, although he's hoping that the state matches the $25 million. "That's why we're trying to put GE money toward projects that would impact positively on the whole city, with tax revenue and permanent jobs," Fabrizi said.

Another good sign among the three proposals is their proximity to mass transit. "I truly believe that the city of Bridgeport is the leader in the state for that concept," Fabrizi said. "We've been following the game plan of the governor and have demonstrated that the money has been spent wisely."

Gus Serra, manager of communications in GE's human resources unit, said last week that the company — with 325,000 employees and $165 billion in worldwide sales — believes there are "good opportunities" in Bridgeport.

Serra described GE's role in the process as "advisory." There will be another meeting on the issue with local and state officials this week.

"At this time it really is CHFA who will be making the final decision," Serra said in a phone interview. "We identified our interest in the downtown and interest in projects that promote Smart Growth and transit."

Nancy L. Hadley, director of the city Office of Planning and Economic Development, said last week that each of the plans is within a half-mile of the others and fit nicely into the city's master plan for development.

"It's a fantastic opportunity," she said, adding that this imminent award is the first time CHFA has focused on Bridgeport since the artist's housing at the former Read's department store on Broad Street was completed several years back. "The mayor has worked really hard on this."