ICON Architecture

On Monday, June 30, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials announced the award of a $30 million grant to help rebuild the Washington Village public housing complex in South Norwalk, CT.

The Washington Village Transformation Plan was one of four projects nationwide to be awarded an Implementation Grant under HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. Working with the Norwalk Housing Authority and the City of Norwalk, the creation of the Plan was led by EJP Consulting Group, LLC, and the designated developer, Trinity Financial, Inc., of Boston. ICON architecture, Inc. led the physical planning and design effort and is designing the 273 units of new mixed-income housing that will be built.

“We’re delighted that Washington Village was one of the four to be awarded the Implementation Grant,” Steven A. Heikin FAIA, senior principal at ICON, said. “We’ve completed a number of transformative projects that were awarded HOPE VI grants; however CHOICE provides an even broader opportunity to revitalize the neighborhood with substantial investments in education and social services as well as housing.”

Washington Village was one of two public housing complexes in Connecticut impacted by flooding during Hurricane Sandy. The new design features affordable, workforce and market-rate housing that are all sustainable and storm-resilient. Half of the 273 new units – equal to the current 136 units at Washington Village will be available to, and affordable for, the current residents.

“Washington Village is the oldest public housing complex in Connecticut,” Heikin said. “The new design will allow us to demonstrate how to reinvest in one of the oldest coastal communities in the area, while addressing the issues that arise in climate change and global warming.”

Phase One is slated to begin in October and calls for the construction of a three-story, 10-unit building and a four-story, 70-unit building.

For more information, continue reading here.