In The Loop- February 28, 2025
Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk
This week saw two brand new announcements of state agencies “right sizing” their footprint of buildings to be converted into brand new housing.
First, the sprawling and voluminous campus of the Department of Veterans Affairs revealed their plans to develop up to 46 bedrooms for veterans and their families in three existing buildings. The project, which is being funded with $5M in Federal funding from ARPA, will entail door and window replacements, new flooring, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, new furniture and landscaping for their campus which rests in Rocky Hill alongside I-91 and Route 3. This project brings a unique benefit to the state’s veteran population given that the housing is specifically being created to benefit families of veterans who have served the state.
In a larger footprint renovation, the Council on Environmental Quality is looking to convert seven buildings into 71 apartments along Route 10 in Cheshire to create what will likely be the largest renovated area for housing in the greater Southington area of the state. According to a report in the Hartford Courant, the site is comprised of 13.82 acres, but the “development area is limited to approximately 5 acres,” according to the Council on Environmental Quality scoping notice. The council notes it advises other agencies on “the environmental impacts of proposed construction projects.” The agency also noted: “At the scoping stage, detailed information on a project’s design, alternatives, and environmental impacts does not yet exist. Sponsoring agencies are asking for comments from other agencies and from the public as to the scope of alternatives and environmental impacts that should be considered for further study. “
More to come from these developments as the state looks to focus in on finishing the privatization of new housing on Elm Street and Trinity Street in Hartford which used to be the offices for the Attorney General, State Comptroller, State Treasurer and Office of the Secretary of State. The development happens to be in a very premier area along Bushnell Park in Hartford and will likely attract some of the highest priced rents in Hartford which already has been in the news this week for historically high rents and expenses.
Housing is the top priority for the administration, and they are demonstrating that through these actions.