The same company planning a large-scale apartment complex on Enfield’s riverfront is looking to build more than 50 condominiums in the southern end of West Hartford just blocks from the Newington line.
Honeycomb Real Estate is pursuing its plan under the state’s 8-30g affordable housing law, a rarity because that statute is mostly used for apartment projects.
The Avon-based builder wants to put up 54 condos in six two-story buildings.
Under 8-30g, developers are given substantial freedom from local zoning regulations if they set aside at least 30% of the completed units to qualify as “affordable” under state guidelines.
Honeycomb is in the early stages of getting municipal approval, and currently has submitted formal documents only for wetlands permits. That review is technical and covers drainage, water quality and hydrology, so developers typically don’t provide detailed floor plans or discuss potential pricing and amenities until after they get wetlands approval.
It plans one- and two-bedroom units, with all priced at a level that people earning either 80% or 60% of the area’s median income could afford.
Honeycomb is eying two properties for the project, and bought both in May. It paid about $2.4 million for a little under 14 acres at 60 Brook St., the former headquarters and manufacturing plant of Holo-Krome metal fasteners company. That building was demolished about six years ago.
The company also paid $86,000 for a bit more than half an acre of undeveloped land at 230 Newington Road. The adjacent properties are just west of CTfastrak and the Amtrak line, and just south of the Newington Road Stop & Shop.
According to a summary from consultant Fuss & O’Neill, the townhouse-style residential units will be marketed on an ownership basis. The overwhelming majority of 8-30g applications in Connecticut concern apartments.
“These units will be for sale, and this application is being submitted under Connecticut 8-30g statute for affordable housing,” wrote Lauren Mello, project manager for the consultant. “The site is served by public utilities extended from Newington Road, including MDC water and sanitary sewer, Eversource underground electric, Connecticut Natural Gas, and telecommunications.”
The town’s wetlands commission is scheduled to hear the proposal Jan. 5, and will almost certainly seek details about environmental remediation at the former industrial site.
Avon-based Honeycomb is currently working with Grava Partners to build a four-story, 156-unit apartment complex along the Connecticut River in Enfield. This fall, Grava completed the first phase of Founders Square, a 120-apartment mixed-use building in the center of Windsor.
Honeycomb earlier this year completed The Camelot, 44 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments near the heart of West Hartford. The complex replaced a failing hotel and a former restaurant that had been a source of police calls and neighborhood complaints for years.
Honeycomb describes the project as offering “modern kitchens, energy efficient heating and cooling, a fitness center, community rooms, and resident outdoor space.”
The company is also looking to build 36 affordable housing units in Chester, and plans 64 apartments in New Haven.