BRIDGEPORT — Phase 1C of the $23 million Crescent Crossings officially opened Friday, Sept. 12 with the blessing of city and state leaders, including Gov. Ned Lamont.
The housing complex, which includes 63 affordable apartments, is located at the former Father Panik Village on the East Side. It represents part of the transformation of the former housing project built in 1943.
Located at 635 Waterview Ave., the newly completed Phase 1C delivers a brand-new four-story residential building with 86 high-quality rental units, including 63 affordable apartments for residents earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and 23 market-rate units.
The project features a host of modern amenities including an on-site management office, community room with kitchenette, fitness center, business/computer lab, playground, and approximately 2,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
Developed by JHM Group, in partnership with The Richman Group and Park City Communities, Crescent Crossings is being built to high environmental standards and is both LEED- and Passive House-compliant, ensuring long-term energy efficiency and sustainability for residents.
“Crescent Crossings is more than housing, it’s about creating opportunity and reimagining what’s possible for the East Side of Bridgeport,” said Todd McClutchy, Principal at JHM Group.
The governor said he is proud the state has been a part of the housing development.
“This project is creating dozens of new housing units in Bridgeport’s East Side, which are needed in this neighborhood and will help create new opportunities for many families,” Lamont said. “Our administration is proud to support the development of these units so that we can encourage the continued growth of this area for the benefit of all our residents.”
Viking Construction of Bridgeport served as general contractor on the 3.5-acre redevelopment project.
Several efficient and environmentally friendly elements include lighting, windows, insulation, individually controlled central heating and air conditioning, ventilation, and low VOC finishes. Solar panels were installed on each rooftop to generate electricity that powers common areas and LIFE-safety lighting.
Viking constructed several common areas throughout Crescent Crossings including a resident lounge area with kitchenette and entertainment/media area, a resident business and learning center with internet-enabled computer terminals, a fitness center, and a recycling area.
This latest phase brings the total number of completed homes at Crescent Crossings to 263 units, across three phases (93 units in Phase 1A, 84 units in Phase 1B, and 86 units in Phase 1C). Plans for Phase 1D are already underway, which will bring an additional 90 units to the community, for a total of 353 new homes.
Originally opened in 1940, Father Panik Village once housed more than 5,400 residents and was one of the country’s largest public housing developments. Over time, it fell into disrepair and was fully demolished in the 1990s.
The Crescent Crossings redevelopment represents a long-term vision to replace blight with beauty while acting as a catalyst for neighborhood-wide revitalization.
Crescent Crossings is part of a broader redevelopment initiative by Park City Communities and JHM to transform both the Father Panik and Marina Village public housing complexes into new, mixed-income, sustainable, and vibrant communities across Bridgeport.
Funding and financing partners for this phase include the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Connecticut Department of Housing, TD Bank, Citi Community Capital, Richman Group, Federal Home Loan Bank and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
