Hartford remains at the edge of the spear in terms of adaptive reuse housing projects according to a recent study by RentCafe. Over half of the 2,238 new apartments in the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown metro area expected to open in the near future are adaptive reuse projects.
Adaptive reuse is the conversion of a building from one purpose to another, for example, redeveloping an old factory into a new hospital, or an old church into a new school. Adaptive reuse has gained steam in recent years as a popular development concept for its ability to maintain cities’ cultural and architectural heritage by preventing cornerstone buildings from turning vacant. It also benefits developers as repurposing extant buildings often costs less time and money than new construction.
“Repurposing outdated properties helps alleviate the shortage of rental units at various price points, particularly in areas where vacant or underused buildings are common,” said Maurie Irimia, a RentCafe spokesperson. “In Hartford, nearly all future apartment conversions are targeted at low and middle-income renters.”
Irimia also highlighted the environmental benefits provided by repurposing buildings as opposed to building new construction.
“Adaptive reuse offers a sustainable alternative to new housing construction,” said Irimia. “This process minimizes the environmental impact associated with traditional developments and the production of new materials, making it an eco-friendly approach to design and construction.”
Irimia clarified that the apartments projected in the study ranged from those that have been merely proposed, to those that have been approved. She said that two thirds of Hartford’s projects have already been approved, but construction hasn’t begun, while the other third are projects that are still in the proposal phase.
The concept of adaptive reuse has caught the attention of developers, municipal officials, and state legislators. In the last week of this year’s legislative session, the State Senate passed a bill that would have accelerated the rate at which commercial buildings could be repurposed for housing. According to a statement released by the Senate Democrats, it was “designed to address Connecticut’s housing shortage by reducing red tape associated with converting commercial buildings into residential developments.” However, despite its passage by the Senate, the bill died on the House floor.
Several adaptive reuse projects have been recently approved for housing projects in the Hartford area; last June, the city approved a $50 million renewal plan that would convert an old factory on Bartholomew St. into a 120-unit apartment complex, and last October, a $42 million renewal plan was approved that would turn its old Fuller Brush factory into a 160-unit apartment. In West Hartford, development finished last year on a project that repurposed the former Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery convent into approximately 300 apartments.
Out of the 150 metro areas that were studied, Hartford was ranked as having the 18th most adaptive reuse housing projects in its construction pipeline, said Irimia. With 1,142 repurposed housing units projected for Hartford, it appears to be punching significantly above its weight. Similar sized metro areas such as Salt Lake City, UT, Grand Rapids, MI and Tucson, AZ are expected to convert 868 units, 891 units, and 275 units respectively.
Hartford’s continued drive to repurpose its vacant buildings into housing reflects trends at the national level. According to the study, 2023 saw a 17.6 percent increase in converted apartments compared to 2022. Hotels were the most commonly repurposed buildings for housing projects completed in 2023 at the national level, with offices, factories and warehouses trailing respectively. In Hartford, however, the two most repurposed building types are offices and warehouses.
RentCafe’s study ranked Farmington, with 424 units, and New Britain, with 286 units, as the state’s two closest competitors to the Hartford area in regard to adaptive reuse housing projects.
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