FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 26, 2023
DECD Awards Windsor Locks $4.8 Million for Transformative TOD project
Two-phase development will build upon $82 million state and federal investment in the new Windsor Locks train station
(WINDSOR LOCKS) – The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) announced today that the Town of Windsor Locks has been awarded $4.8 million of Community Investment Funds (CIF) in the program’s third funding round for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project next to the new Windsor Locks train station. Combining important upgrades to the historic Windsor Locks train station with funds for a new mixed-use development, the Windsor Locks TOD project will activate a historic asset, boost economic activity, and unlock the value of a long-underutilized 3½-acre parcel on Main Street. The CIF Program was launched in 2022 and will award up to $175 million each fiscal year to support community development projects across the state of Connecticut.
In 2022, Governor Lamont broke ground on a new train station in Windsor Locks that is adjacent to the town’s historic train station and the 255 Main Street site. The new train station, which the state is investing $65 million to create, will complement the ongoing economic development initiatives in the town’s transit-oriented development area, and will relocate the existing train platform from a park and ride stop that is just south of Interstate 91. The new station will include a high-level platform to allow for level boarding from every train car and will continue to offer shuttle bus connections to Bradley International Airport. The new Windsor Locks station will be served by both the CTrail Hartford Line, as well as four Amtrak lines. The new train station project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.
Using a public-private partnership model and this allocation of CIF, the town of Windsor Locks is collaborating with Boston-based real estate development firm, Trinity Financial, to leverage the state’s investment in Windsor Locks’s new train station.
The restoration of the historic train station calls for roughly $2.4 million of CIF to upgrade the 2,300-square-foot historic station that was constructed in 1875. The refurbished historic station will include a welcome center with bathrooms, Connecticut-made items, and grab-n-go food and beverages. Other upgrades include tourist and airport information, accessible entryways, new windows and doors, and new plumbing and HVAC systems.
The remaining $2.4 million of CIF funds will be used to acquire the 255 Main Street property, which is currently an underutilized strip commercial complex built in 1987. Trinity Financial will develop a new $42 million, mixed-use building with approximately 75 mixed‐income apartments over ground-floor commercial space with a design that engages with Main Street and connects to the new train station.
“We sincerely appreciate DECD’s investment in Windsor Locks. With this allocation of CIF, we will be able to breathe new life into our historic train station, generate more economic activity in our downtown, and support the sort of transformative development project that we envisioned with the implementation of our Main Street Overlay Zone,” said Paul Harrington, First Selectman for the Town of Windsor Locks.
I applaud the state’s approval of $4,848,500 in Community Investment Fund 2030 grant program funding to complete the renovation of the historic Windsor Locks train station as well as acquire property on Main Street adjacent to the train platform to provide a path for redevelopment into 75 units of transit-oriented, mixed-income housing. It’s ‘all aboard’ on Main Street in Windsor Locks! We are so pleased to see this smart development project continue to stay on track. From historic preservation to housing to transportation, these significant upgrades will improve the quality of life for Windsor Locks residents and for all who visit and do business here. We are grateful for the state’s ongoing support for this valued local resource. It really has been quite a special team effort, and I thank First Selectman Harrington for his leadership,” said Senator John Kissel.
I am so proud of Windsor Locks (Paul Harrington and Jen Valentino) for their work on the CIF grant they presented to the state and proud to advocate for Windsor Locks! It is amazing to be one of twenty towns to be funded with this transformational grant to drive economic development in the heart of their downtown. Congratulations Windsor Locks,” said State Representative Jane Garibay.
“I’m excited about approval of this grant and congratulate the Town of Windsor Locks on their success. These funds will help maximize opportunities presented by the new train platform and other Main Street projects. Restoring the historic train station with a welcome center will help create a more vibrant town center and provide conveniences for rail users and those transferring to the Bradley Airport shuttle. Redevelopment of the currently blighted area will add housing options and create jobs. This is a win for both Windsor Locks and our surrounding communities,” said State Representative Tami Zawistowski.
“We are grateful that DECD has selected the Windsor Locks TOD project for this award of CIF,” said Dan Drazen, Vice President, Development for Trinity Financial. “This development will help to anchor the north end of main street with a vibrant, mixed-use, and mixed-income project that could not be better served by public transportation. We look forward to partnering with the Town of Windsor Locks on this exciting project.”
About Trinity Financial, Inc.
Trinity Financial is a community-driven, diverse real estate development firm with a proven-track record of redeveloping complex urban sites from New York to Greater Boston. The work spans half a dozen residential and commercial specialties, from multi-family housing to transit-oriented development. Over the past 30 years Trinity has developed more than $3 billion in innovative development, delivering high quality, sustainable, multi-family housing, ranging from affordable to luxury – all with a commitment to people and place. For more information about Trinity Financial, please visit www.trinityfinancial.com.