Construction Starts On 100-Unit Mixed-Income Housing At Former Avon Office Park

Beacon Communities

AVON, CT — Construction has started on a 100-unit mixed-income apartment building at 20 Security Drive, marking the first phase of a multi-stage redevelopment of a former office park near downtown Avon.

Boston-based Beacon Communities is redeveloping the site into what it calls The Homes at Avon Park, a residential project that replaces underused commercial property with housing adjacent to the Avon Village Center area.

The first phase includes one- and two-bedroom apartments, with 85 units restricted for households earning 25 percent, 50 percent, and 80 percent of the area median income.

The remaining 15 units will be rented at market rates.

A total of 22 apartments will receive operating subsidies through the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services Rental Assistance Program, with Oak Hill providing supportive services.

Dara Kovel, chief executive officer of Beacon Communities, said the project addresses the state’s housing shortage while advancing local and state housing goals.

“Transforming an underutilized office park into a vibrant mixed-income community in the Town of Avon addresses Connecticut’s housing needs and is aligned with State housing goals,” Kovel said.

She credited the Town of Avon, the state Department of Housing, and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority for supporting the development.

The property sits about a quarter mile from downtown Avon, next to the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and across from a commercial center anchored by Whole Foods.

Planned amenities include a community room, fitness and wellness spaces, outdoor gathering areas, gardens, walking trails, and a dog run.

State officials described the project as a model for converting obsolete commercial properties into housing.

“This is an exciting redevelopment project, and the type of partnership we hope to replicate in other towns and cities across the state that have underutilized spaces or buildings,” said Seila Mosquera-Bruno, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing.

Financing for the redevelopment combines public and private sources, including federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, loans from the Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, and a 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement approved by the Town of Avon.

Construction financing is being provided by Bank of America and CHFA, with CHFA set to provide permanent financing. Bank of America is also investing through tax credit equity.

Nandini Natarajan, chief executive officer and executive director of CHFA, said the project expands housing choice while strengthening the surrounding community.

Local officials said the development aligns with long-standing town goals to add housing near the village center without building on open space.

“The addition of housing near the Avon Village Center development has been a goal for years, as has adding housing through adaptive reuse of existing developments rather than development of open space,” said Dan Polhamus, chairman of the Avon Town Council.

State Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, who represents Avon, said the project could serve as a template for other suburban communities facing similar challenges.

Phase two of the redevelopment, known as Avon Village, is planned to convert a vacant office building on the same site into 76 apartments.

Construction on that phase is scheduled to begin later this year.