Giving hope to residents
Village at Park River in Hartford’s North End replaces run-down, 1950s public housing complex
HARTFORD — Jodiann James moved into the Village at Park River almost a year ago, but the memories of her old apartment in the Westbrook Village public housing complex that once stood on the site are still fresh.
“At Westbrook, it was a whole mess that needed to get cleaned up,” James said. “It was really bad, the windows weren’t good, and in the winter time, it was a mess. You had this cold air coming in and then there was this high heat bill we had to pay.”
As the ribbon was cut Wednesday on the first two phases of redevelopment and ground broken on a third on the former Westbrook site, James, a school bus driver, said she struggles to find the right words to describe the difference made by redevelopment.
“With us, it’s amazing,” James said. “I can’t explain how overwhelming this new upgrade is in this neighborhood.”
What was Westbrook Village?
Westbrook Village, in Hartford’s North End near the town line with West Hartford, was built in the 1950s for moderate-income tenants. The public housing complex was one of the few state-financed housing projects in the city.
The apartments were typically divided into four, garden-style units in two-story brick buildings arranged on the 40-acre site at Albany Avenue and Mark Twain Drive.
For years — through several
mayors and housing authority directors — there had been a push for redevelopment. Demolition got underway in 2019. About 90 families were relocated and were given first priority to return to the new townhouses, and so far, a dozen, including James who lived at Westbrook for over 9 years, have returned.
What are the plans for the Village at Park River?
Plans call for 432 housing units to be built in up to seven phases in a project that could cost $175 million, with construction stretching through 2026.
So far, the 135 units in the first two phases are built in the townhouse style with green, blue and other colors of siding, a stark comparison to the drab, bleak brick that dominated Westbrook Village.
The Hartford Housing Authority partnered with developers Philadelphia-based Pennrose LLC and The Cloud Co. of Hartford, headed by businessman Sanford J. Cloud, who grew up in Westbrook Village.
Beyond the housing, another 100,000 square feet of office and storefront space is planned for 10 acres closest to Albany Avenue, and a visible well-traveled commuter route and gateway into downtown Hartford prior to the pandemic.
A separate developer, JDA Development Co., which built West Hartford’s Blue Back Square, has signed on for that part of the project. There weren’t any estimates on how much this part of the project could cost, though construction could start next year, according to a timetable provided by Pennrose.
“The pandemic has had an impact on everything, but the good news is that we kept going through the pandemic,” Annette Sanderson, the housing authority’s executive director. “We kept building.”
Yesenia Colon, a property manager for Pennrose said the waiting list is now over 1,000.
The majority of the townhouses in the first two phases, about 85%, are set aside as affordable units, with the remainder, market rate.
For the affordable units, two people seeking to lease a one-bedroom could qualify for a rent of $763-$782 a month, if they earn between $26,160 and $41,050, or 50% of the area median income. The rent would rise as income approaches a ceiling of $49,260 for two people.
The market-rate rent for a two bedroom would be $1,250.
Why a ribbon cutting Wednesday?
The pandemic had delayed ribbon cuttings on the first two phases, now complete, and the groundbreaking on the third. The third phase, including a community center, is already under construction.
Wednesday’s celebration was staged in the middle of a street in the development with construction straight ahead, flanked by completed units on both sides. There were more than a dozen speeches, including Gov. Ned Lamont, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, state department heads and members of Hartford’s legislative delegation, including Speaker of the House Matt Ritter.
The state Department of Housing has loaned $20.5 million to the project, so far, and low-income tax credits through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority has generated $29 million in investment.
From a nearby porch, Kim Downing, who moved to the development in July watched the speeches. Downing didn’t rent in Westbrook Village but friends and family did and she has lived nearby all her life.
“It’s a good change for the neighborhood,” Downing said. “I’m glad they tore it down and rebuilt it. It’s a safer environment for our children to grow up in.”
Her neighbor, Asia Harris, also a lifelong Hartford resident, said she felt her four children, the oldest being 10, were safer here than where she had lived on Asylum Avenue.
“I have no worries when they are outside on the playground because I know they are safe,” Harris said. And then, the community, everyone is friendly and they stick together.”
At one point, a gust of wind knocked over display board with renderings and photos of the old Westbrook Village. But Bronin shrugged it off.
“It’s fitting that the pictures are down because you don’t need them,” Bronin said. “You can look around — and it’s not always true, but it’s true here — the reality is even nicer than the pictures were. The development is beautiful, and it is a development that is worthy of the community and the residents that are here.”
Lamont said he hoped the new housing demonstrates how much the state and the city values the residents and “we’re really proud that you are in the state of Connecticut.”
What’s the waiting list for prospective tenants?