Work has begun in Norwalk on the redevelopment of Meadow Gardens a 54-unit public housing project that was built in 1960. The Norwalk Housing Authority applied to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2023 for approval to demolish the old Meadow Gardens so that it can build something new. The Meadow Gardens site is less than a mile from the South Norwalk Metro-North train station and is served by three bus routes.
The new Meadow Gardens will be slightly larger than was the old one, with a total of 59 apartments. There would be 15 one-bedrooms, 19 two-bedrooms, 18 three-bedrooms, and 7 four-bedrooms. Seven of the apartments would be ADA-accessible units. All of the new units will be priced as affordable housing. There will be 30 units restricted to households earning 30% of the Norwalk Area Median Income (AMI) and 29 units restricted to households earning 50% of the AMI.
“The lack of supply and high cost of housing is a national and state crisis,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “Everyone deserves to have a roof over their head and to be able to afford the cost of housing. Thanks to the incredible partnerships between local, state, and federal governments, as well as public-private partnerships, we are able to create more affordable housing here in Norwalk.”
Adam Bovilsky, executive director of the Norwalk Housing Authority, said the new development is “one more important step towards our goal to expand and preserve low-income housing so that every Norwalk resident can have a safe and affordable home.”
Residents who lived at the old Meadow Gardens before demolition were relocated and will be offered the opportunity to move into the new development after completion.
The new Meadow Gardens will include a 4,200-square-feet community center with property managers’ offices, a gym, and a learning center. The learning center is an after-school and all-day summer program for kindergarten through fifth grade students living at the property. The program is operated by the Norwalk Housing Authority and is free to families living at Meadow Gardens.
Financing for the redevelopment includes 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by the Connecticut Housing Financing Authority, $21.5 million in tax credit equity from M&T Bank, a construction-to-permanent loan from M&T Bank, a Connecticut Department of Housing loan of $5.9 million, a Community Investment Fund grant of $3.4 million from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, and $875,000 from the Community Project Fund via Congressman Jim Himes. The City of Norwalk’s tax abatement agreement will increase the ongoing financial sustainability of the property.
Westmount Management will manage the property when it opens in early 2027. Total development costs are $47 million, including architectural and engineering services, surveys and studies, legal fees, construction loan interest, developer fee and other expenses. The construction costs are approximately $33 million.
