An affordable housing complex in Stamford is undergoing a $27 million full renovation. It marks the first significant construction improvement at the development since it first opened more than 30 years ago.
Parkside Gables, a community of townhouse-style homes for low-to-moderate-income families on West Main Street, is owned and operated by nonprofit Connecticut Housing Partners.
“It hasn't really had a major rehab since it was built in 1991,” Housing Partners’ Chief Executive Officer Renée Dobos said. “Over the time of 30 years, there's a lot of things that need to be repaired. This is going to be a total gut rehab.”
The 69-unit development will soon have energy efficient bathrooms and kitchens, new roofing and drainage systems. There will also be new amenities for residents, including central air conditioning and dishwashers. Exterior improvements include new sidewalks and parking areas.
The project which is being fully funded by The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority should be completed in about 18 months.
Residents will have to relocate for about six weeks during the construction process, Dobos said.
“We want them to be happy with their unit once they move back in,” Dobos said. “We're doing between four and six units at a time, and we're moving the families into a hotel that has a kitchen.”
Parkside Gables residents were involved in the renovation process, selecting design finishes, Dobos said.
Renovating decades-old affordable housing is one way to alleviate the state’s housing crisis, according to Dobos.
“What this does is it rehabs and refurbishes these units so that they'll have another life of 25 to 30 years,” Dobos said.
