Gov. Dannel Malloy and Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra helped with a groundbreaking for 72 new loft apartments off Wyllys Street and Charter Oak Avenue on Wednesday.
The new Capewell Lofts received roughly $8 million in state assistance and will also qualify for state and federal historical grants.
"This is a big, big deal for Hartford," said Segarra.
The new lofts are located in downtown Hartford, a city that has seen 18 homicides already in 2015, which is on pace with last year's overall total of 19 homicides.
Despite issues the city has been facing, which have included meetings with state officials, the mayor is confident people will lease apartments here.
He said between the Capewell building and a new building on Allyn Street, there will be activity in both locations.
"Allyn Street is fully rented and I feel that these lofts here, which are very geographically placed in a very nice place, will also be fully rented as well," Segarra said.
Local
Malloy said he's made it a point during his administration to invest in housing because he views it as a way to redevelop parts of communities that need assistance.
"This is a strategy I used in Stamford over a 14-year period of time and I’ll stand by that work," he said. "I think it’ll work in Hartford. I think it’ll work in New Haven. I think it’ll work in Bridgeport."
Malloy added that he's done more for housing investment than some of his predecessors.
"My administration has now spent more money on housing four and a half years than the prior three administrations over a period of 20 years, and what we’re seeing is that beginning to pay off in New Haven, in Hartford, in Stamford and elsewhere," Malloy said.
The Capewell Lofts are slated to open by the end of 2016.
