The property that runs alongside Windsor Locks’ new train station on Main Street was once a pond, a coal yard, a gas station and a strip mall. Soon, it’ll become home to more than 100 families, many of whom rely on affordable housing options.
The transit-oriented development is part of an overall plan to revitalize Windsor Locks’ downtown and provide easier access to the region’s various transportation modes, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.
“This station is going to anchor housing development, bringing homes, shops, and public transportation together in a walkable downtown,” Eucalitto said. “That connection starts with boarding on this new platform, which is accessible for all people.”
In the adjoining lot, a total of 120 apartments will be constructed, in two phases, the first of which will be 70 apartments.
A mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be available at a range of affordability levels, for families earning anywhere from 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). There will also be market rate apartments.
Rent will range from $700 to $2,600, according to Dan Drazen, the vice president of development for project developer Trinity Financial.
“Those are not simply numbers in finance,” Drazen said. “They mean that people at five different income tiers and at different stages of their lives will be able to live here, steps from the train, connected to jobs and opportunity throughout this region.”
Eleven of the apartments will be supportive housing for adults with disabilities to live independently, Drazen said.
The project, which was first announced last July, should be complete in 2028.
Phase one of the project will cost $49 million, including $6 million in state brownfield remediation grant funding, that will be used to demolish the former strip mall and provide environmental upgrades to the property.
The new train station across the parking lot from the apartment complex cost more than $120 million to construct and will begin Amtrak and Connecticut’s Hartford Line service on Oct. 18.
Residents can also get a bus shuttle from the train station to Bradley International Airport, a less than 15-minute drive away.
The efforts to improve transit hubs, making them a place for residents to live, shop and travel, is part of a broader shift that other states can emulate, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
“We show in Connecticut that taking people off the roads, providing safer, more reliable rail is our future here,” Blumenthal said. “It leads to more housing right down the road. It leads to more shopping and economic growth, and it reduces environmental threats.”
