Stamford’s transportation center is one of the busiest stations in the northeast corridor, and it’ll soon undergo an overhaul with the addition of affordable housing.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) owns numerous parcels of land, and wants to find new ways to use them, according to Deputy Transportation Commissioner Laoise King.
“We know that housing is something that we are really lacking in Connecticut, and this is a way that the state can use its assets to help alleviate some of that burden,” King said.
The department is currently accepting design applications from private development firms to reconfigure the Stamford Transportation Center.
The 11-acre site serves more than 5 million bus and rail travelers annually, and is in need of infrastructure updates and upgrades to meet growing demand.
DOT is seeking designs that include redevelopment of the station and the surrounding parcels, including sites that were previously large parking lots, King said.
King said the department is open to various models, but the design must incorporate affordable housing.
“We want to make sure that there is a housing component, but we're also open to office, retail and institutional use, a cultural center, et cetera,” King said.
A portion of the homes will have to be affordable for families earning no more than 30% of the area’s median income, the level set by a state Department of Economic and Community Development affordable housing policy.
As far as the look of the development, King said they’re open to any combination of housing and infrastructure, such as an apartment building above the train station or a mixed-use development adjacent to the facility.
“We can leverage what we are doing to help with housing, to help with the economy, to help create and build neighborhoods, to help reconnect communities, to make sure that what we are doing is resilient and helps the environment,” King said.
DOT is accepting design applications until December and plans to select a developer in February, King said. The project won’t be complete for several years, but King said rail and bus service will not be interrupted.
The redevelopment is a “once-in-a-generation” chance to create a new transportation hub, DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. The development will meet the evolving needs of travelers.
“By reimagining this property, we can deliver new housing, enhanced transit amenities, and commercial and retail spaces that will serve residents and visitors for decades to come,” Eucalitto said.
