[3][4][5] The redevelopment has attracted many young professionals to the South End,[4] drawing remarks from many locals about the dramatic change in the neighborhood,[4][5] as well as concerns about gentrification,[4] overdevelopment,[4][5] and affordability.

"[6]: 2 The Yale & Towne Lock Works was a major manufacturer which, along with other industry in the area, provided employment and shaped the neighborhood.

"They showed great vision in assembling and entitling such an extraordinary piece of ground," said Carl Kuehner III, chief executive of BLT, in a prepared statement announcing the change.

About 600 acres of downtown Stamford is now protected by a two-mile-long barrier system built in 1969 by the Army Corps of Engineers, that "helped prevent about $25 million in damage" during the 11 food storm surge of Hurricane Sandy.

[10] Major corporate headquarters in the area include Charter Communications, KAYAK.com, Design With Reach, Centerplate, Thomson Reuters, Daymon Worldwide, High Ridge Brands, and Rhone Apparel, as well as major offices of Bridgewater Associates, and McKinsey & Company.

The company had manufacturing operations in the neighborhood for decades and its 422,000-square-foot (39,200 m2) corporate headquarters is located at the southern end of the triangular peninsula at 1 Elmcroft Road, where about 550 people worked.

[13][14] The complex at 735 Canal Street had been rented out by Antares Investment Partners of Greenwich to various businesses, including about 100 antiques dealers.

Heyman officials knew of the sprinkler system problems "and did nothing to fix them for years, the city's chief fire marshal said in April," The Advocate reported.

[14] Beginning in 2005, Antares Investment Partners began acquiring an array of properties in the South End of Stamford, and announced plans to redevelop an 80 acres (32 ha) portion of the neighborhood as part of a project called Harbor Point.

[3] The project, which one New York Times article called "one of the largest and most ambitious redevelopment efforts in the country", was sold to Norwalk-based Building and Land Technology (BLT), a private development company, in September 2008.

[16] The 20-acre (81,000 m2) Yale & Town site will have 300,000 square feet (30,000 m2) of retail space in new buildings off Canal Street, along with the 225 apartments at the "Lofts at Yale and Towne" located in a century-old, six-story factory building on Henry Street, according to plans Antares presented to the city Zoning Board in early 2007.

[citation needed] In 2009, Pitney Bowes paid an engineering consultant to study traffic in the South End, particularly in connection with plans for new office buildings and residences.

[11] As of January 2018, about 2,750 of the 4,000 housing units planned for BLT's Harbor Point development were completed, along with some retail and office space.

[2] 50.7% of residents aged 25 or older have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 45.5% of households spend 30% or more of their income on housing.

[2][3] The Stamford Transportation Center, the city's main train station, is located in the South End.