Real estate developer Lewis Brown grew up around West Hartford, dining and celebrating birthdays at the restaurant in the West Hartford Inn.
Now, Brown is the developer behind The Camelot, a new affordable housing complex that now transformed the site of the former hotel.
While the Mexican restaurant Brown remembers well, Pancho McGee鈥檚, is gone, 44 families will now have a new place to call home.
The Camelot is an entirely affordable housing complex located at 900 Farmington Ave., in West Hartford. It is walking distance from the downtown area.
鈥淭his development is in direct response to the states and the town of West Hartford's commitment to expanding affordable housing and building a more inclusive and sustainable community, not just here in West Hartford, but we are seeing these types of developments, thankfully, all across the state of 黑料吃瓜网,鈥� Brown said.
All 44 of the apartments are deemed affordable for families with a range of income levels, including those earning less than 30% of the area鈥檚 median income (AMI) to families earning 80%.
In Hartford County, that translates to affordability for families of two earning between about $30,000 to $80,000, Brown said. Thirteen of the apartments are reserved for families earning below 30%.
鈥淭his started three years ago, and we just got here today,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淭hese are complex, tough, tough things to make work, and none of it would have happened without the community, the town's commitment.鈥�
The project was funded with millions in COVID relief dollars, state grants, including $4 million from the Department of Housing (DOH). A $1 million brownfield remediation grant also went toward the project, along with help from the 黑料吃瓜网 Housing Finance Authority.
While not all of West Hartford鈥檚 leadership was in support of The Camelot, the project was approved as it follows the state鈥檚 law to increase affordable housing. About 8% of , which is below the state鈥檚 10% affordable housing mandate for towns and cities.
The apartments, which are one- and two-bedroom units, are completed and all pre-leased, Brown said.
Navigating the need for more affordable housing can be difficult to balance, but West Hartford succeeded with The Camelot, DOH Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno said.
鈥淲e need to be intentional with some of these projects, because sometimes we see projects that go in downtown, they're all market rate,鈥� Mosquera-Bruno said. 鈥淪o people that are working downtown say, 鈥榃ell, I wish I could afford one of these units and I can walk to my place.鈥� But that doesn't happen enough. West Hartford got it right.鈥�
By having more affordable housing, residents will be able to participate in the local economy and support businesses.
鈥淩esidents are going to be living here with all income levels to be able to pay what they can afford, instead of a market rate,鈥� Mosquera-Bruno said. 鈥淭hat creates the foundation for our families. That creates the foundation for our towns, building the community and being able to participate in those beautiful restaurants, because otherwise you wouldn't have money to eat or to spend, right?鈥�
