Elmwood Apartment Project Gets Underway with Ground Breaking

The West Hartford Housing Authority's mixed-income apartment building reached a new phase as ground was officially broken Thursday afternoon at the Newington Rd. site across the street from Stop & Shop.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman joined West Hartford Housing Authority (WHHA) CEO George Howell, WHHA Chairperson Bob Kantor, Deputy Mayor Shari Cantor, State Department of Housing representative Jennifer Ponte, and local officials to kick off the construction of the Goodwin, a $10 million apartment building that was approved by the West Hartford Town Council in December after three lengthy and heated public hearings.

Howell and Kantor expressed their gratitude to all who helped the project come to fruition, including Farmington Bank and the state's Department of Economic and Community Development, which will be providing $3.28 million in funding for the project through its Competitive Housing Assistance for Multifamily Properties (CHAMP) program which seeks to expand workforce housing.

"We're putting our money where our mouth is," said Wyman, who praised the diverse character of West Hartford and the "village" which worked together to gain approval for the somewhat controversial proposal.

State Rep. Joe Verrengia, represents the Elmwood area, believes it's important to look forward even though some residents were opposed to the project. "The neighbors clearly expressed themselves during the public hearings ... but its important to move forward as an Elmwood community," he said. Verrengia is confident that the WHHA will deliver on its promises.

"We need more affordable housing and we need it done right," said Rick Liftig of the Elmwood Business Association. 

Town Manager Ron Van Winkle added that West Hartford is one of the most diverse communities in the state. "Multi-family is a growing market and this is a great opportunity to bring affordable housing to West Hartford," he said.

The building is named after Goodwin Pottery, a significant business in West Hartford's history which was located nearby until it burned down in 1908.

Actual construction will begin around Aug. 1, and the project should take approximately 14 months to complete.

The three-story building of 47 units will be built on 1.59 acres at 189 and 203 Newington Road. When construction is complete, 15 of the units will be designated as "work-force" units, offered at a reduced rent of $1,000 per month with the other 32 rented at market rates of approximately $1,400 per month. The Town Council approved creation of a Special Development District for the site. A power supply company was formerly located at 189 Newington Rd., and a vacant single-family home, that will soon be demolished, is at 203 Newington Rd.

This is the second major project recently undertaken by the West Hartford Housing Authority, which was praised for its operation of the newly-renovated Alfred E. Plant senior housing complex on Farmington Ave.