Markeshia Ricks Photo
Harris at groundbreaking.
Brenda Harris is becoming a minor celebrity at Farnam Courts redevelopment groundbreakings.
The lifelong tenant — shovel in hand and hard hat atop her head — wielded a shovel at the groundbreaking for the now almost-done first phase of the redevelopment at the 75-year-old public-housing complex on Grand Avenue. And she was there again with a shovel Wednesday as phase two of its rebuilding got underway.
“I just look forward to coming back into a new, beautiful home,” she said.
Harris joined Mayor Toni Harp and other city, state and federal officials Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony held in the complex’s courtyard to kickoff of a project that Housing Authority Executive Director Karen DuBois-Walton said will help knit Farnam Courts to neighboring Wooster Square and downtown.
Old Farnam Courts
“All of our residents have waited for this project,” DuBois-Walton said. “We are a stone’s throw away from downtown but it feels like a world away in a lot of ways. We are right next door to Wooster Square but it also at times feels far away.”
The cost of the onsite second phase of the redevelopment runs to more than $42 million and includes costs for new roads and other non-redevelopment infrastructure such as streetscaping. The off-site phase cost about $30 million, according to information provided by the housing authority; that money pays for replacement apartments at two different locations, the former Cott soda factory in Fair Haven and EastView Terrace in the Heights.
Farnam Courts is the latest public-housing development to be rebuilt, following in the wake of reborn complexes in West Rock, in Dixwell, and in Fair Haven.
Tise Design Associates
An architectural rendering of the future Farnam.
Harris said she’s lived in the complex here entire life, even raising her own daughter there. She said she’s just happy to see her home be redeveloped into something that she will love when its done.
“I’ve lived here 53 years,” said Harris, who also serves as the Farnam Courts Tenant Resident Council president. “I’ve been here from the time that I was a baby. I’m just just glad that it’s happening. I had fun here. I enjoyed being here. I just loved living here.”
Mayor Harp noted that it’s an exciting time for market rate housing development in the city, but that’s not the only real estate market in high demand. The demand for affordable and subsidized housing is also very high.
“Those who can’t afford new, market rate housing must also have safe, housing options available to them,” she said. “This redevelopment will go a long way in meeting that demand.
DuBois-Walton
The onsite redevelopment of Farnam Courts includes 8 market rate units and 86 affordable, Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program family housing. It also includes 24 one-bedroom apartments, 51 two-bedroom apartments, eight three-bedroom apartments and three four-bedroom apartments.
DeLauro, after whose late father the complex’s park is named.
In addition to becoming a multi-story complex with 5,900 square feet of retail space on the lower floors, the rebuilt Farnam will get a new community center and a new Ted DeLauro Park, which will be moved to the interior of the complex. Once all phases of the Farnam Courts redevelopment are complete there will be a total of 228 RAD family units between the onsite location and the development in Fair Haven.
Last December, HANH broke ground on the Fair Haven portion of the development, which is an off-site component that allowed residents of the original Farnam to be relocated. DuBois-Walton said Wednesday that some residents have already started moving into the 57 RAD units on that site and lease are already being granted for the other 27 two-bedrooms, 28 three-bedrooms and 2 four-bedroom units in those locations.The completion of that part of the project allows for the relocation of the rest of the residents at the onsite location.
Wooster Square Alder Aaron Greenberg and Harris with other residents.