New life is on its way to a historic building in New Britain that was once the reported site of a Harry Houdini trick.
The John Andrews building on Main Street will be turned into apartments.
Built in 1903, it’s gone through several transformations over the years. Soon, what is now office space will be turned into apartments with restaurants below.
“It's good for us for business, good for neighbors, good for everything,” said Walaed Alkutini, who owns the nearby Main Street Food Store.
While he sees a good amount of traffic now, Alkutini thinks adding more residential space to downtown can only help.
The historic Andrews building is just a short walk down the street from his business.
“We need more people living in downtown New Britain to take advantage of the amenities we have here but also more feet on the street to help support the businesses,” explained New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart.
Stewart said with the arrival of CTfastrak they noticed a need for more housing.
The city said the one bedroom apartments will be 20 to 30 percent lower in rent compared to similar units in the region.
Jasko Development, which owns the building, says the apartments will have high-end finishes with 1900s Prohibition era decor.
“When you have attractive rents that are affordable to working class individuals, that's what’s going to make people want to move here,” Stewart said.
Residents said it’s development they’re glad to see downtown.
“It should be good for the area because there's a lot of people here that need apartments,” said New Britain resident Juan Gonzales.
The city said another project nearby will bring in more than 100 new housing units.
The renovations are expected to be completed early next year.
