(Jewish Group) An unused synagogue building in Connecticut could soon become affordable housing

[Behind the Aegis]

A vacant West Hartford, Connecticut, synagogue building, shuttered in 2018, could soon turn into 49 apartments — including affordable housing, a local newspaper has reported.

Agudas Achim, an Orthodox congregation established in 1887 that primarily served Romanian immigrants, moved to its third permanent location in the building in 1969. Five years ago, it merged with another congregation, United Synagogues, and the building went up for sale the following year. Now the property, which the city appraised at about $2.5 million, is under contract.

Trout Brook Realty Advisors, the nonprofit development arm of the West Hartford Connecticut Housing Authority, is developing the new housing complex. Both of the possible redevelopment plans would incorporate the synagogue building’s facade — which includes a distinctive ground-to-roof pattern of brightly colored windows — and not require the building’s demolition.

“We are really excited about it,” Jill Corrado, CEO of Trout Brook and executive director of the West Hartford Housing Authority told the Hartford Business Journal. “It’s a cool adaptive reuse of an existing structure. We wanted to pay tribute to it by not demolishing the entire structure. It has some cool features we want to preserve.”

more...

[marble falls]

1. I think this is a good idea. I hope there is a memorial to the original congregation in the plans.