CT municipality expands rental housing options with $250M project. Homeownership could be in future

A decade ago, the tenants of the 1950s-era Bowles Park public housing complex were skeptical of plans to relocate tenants, demolish more than 400 units in brick, barracks-style buildings and replace them with townhouses with traditional front porches, plus give former residents the chance to later move back.

But since construction on the $250 million Willow Creek in Hartford’s Blue Hills neighborhood began in 2017, hundreds of mixed-income rentals have been built with some former tenants taking up the option to return.

More apartments are now under construction, the aim being tackling the lack of well-kept, safe affordable housing options in the city.

The massive redevelopment is eventually expected to replace all the torn down Bowles Park apartments on 60 acres off Granby Street — a fourth, $33 million phase expected to increase the number by another 56 units. The latest of the six planned phases is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2027.

The buildings in Willow Creek vary in design, in sharp contrast to the brick, garden-style uniformity of Bowles Park. The structures are organized around common greens and semi-private backyards with new streetscape patterns that connect to shared amenities to create a more walkable community.

Annette Sanderson, chief executive officer of the Hartford Housing Authority, said she remembers well the deteriorating conditions at Bowles Park when she took over the leadership of the authority in 2012.  Foundations were crumbling and some residents said basements could not even be used for storage.

“When I started, the buildings were beyond their reasonable use, and one of the first things I did, I stopped leasing to new people,” Sanderson said. “I couldn’t in good conscience continue to put people in there. You couldn’t go into the basements. They were atrocious.”

Sanderson’s comments after a groundbreaking ceremony Monday marking the start of the latest construction on the site.

The project was hailed for its public-private partnership. Financing for the fourth phase includes $14 million in low-income housing tax credits; $1.3 million in investment tax credits; $8.5 million from the state Department of Housing; $5.5 million from the state Department of Economic and Community Development; and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority is providing nearly $4 million.

In addition, Bank of America is providing a construction loan of $14 million.

The authority is co-developing the project with a team led by Stamford-based JHM Financial Group.

Todd D. McClutchy, president of JHM Financial, said a future phase could include homeownership, which the city is pushing to expand throughout Hartford.

“That was part of the original meeting with the residents, and that was their desire and their wish if there could be a homeownership opportunity,” McClutchy said.

Hartford has one of the overall lowest homeownership rates among all municipalities at 26%, according to AdvanceCT, the nonprofit, economic development group. That compares with an average of 66% statewide.

Monday’s ceremony also was attended by, among others, U.S. Rep. John B. Larson and state Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, both credited for their efforts in securing public funding for Willow Creek and other similar projects around the state to expand affordable housing.