Development to provide access to affordable units

ESSEX — State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, was among those who took a tour last week of The Lofts at Spencer’s Corner, a recent redevelopment project in the Centerbrook section of town created by the HOPE Partnership, which works on connecting people to affordable housing.

The agency hopes to simultaneously revitalize a central commercial property key to the town, and provide affordable housing to the region, according to a press release.

The tour, hosted by HOPE Partnership Operations Manager Loretta McCluskey and Board of Directors President Dave Carswell, explored the mixed-use property, which has apartments ranging in size from one to three bedrooms on its second and third floors and a combination of retail and office space on the first floor, the news release said.

“The HOPE Partnership should be lauded for its efforts in not only bringing new, revitalizing development with both residential and business opportunities to the heart of Centerbrook, but expanding access to affordable, sustainable housing, something our region needs,” Needleman said in a prepared statement.

The Lofts at Spencer’s Corner, located on Main Street in Centerbrook, is the HOPE Partnership’s latest property. In addition to its success developing affordable housing with Old Saybrook’s Ferry Crossing townhouse project, which offers 16 homes to families earning less than 80 percent of median area income; it is developing a 35-unit project in Madison with 24 affordable housing units, according to the release.