By next summer downtown Naugatuck will look markedly different. The first of three apartment buildings at the Platform at Naugatuck is now occupied, and a new Water Street train station is slated to open this summer, creating a true transit‑oriented hub.
State support and local leadership
Governor Ned Lamont praised the project as a model for what transit‑oriented development can achieve. “I hear a lot of speeches about transit‑oriented development,” Lamont said at the ribbon‑cutting ceremony. “You don’t have to imagine it here in Naugatuck—you can see it.”
Housing options for families
The 60‑unit building already houses five families, with nearly half of the units expected to be rented soon. Developer Pennrose’s Karmen Cheung explained that a dozen units are set aside for households earning 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 24 units for those at 50% AMI (including eight reserved for Section 8 voucher holders), another dozen for 80% AMI earners, and the final dozen are market‑rate apartments.
Funding and future phases
The Connecticut Department of Housing contributed more than $8 million to the project. The second building will break ground in early 2027, and applications for funding the third and final building are expected in January. When completed in 2030, the three‑building complex will provide 180 apartments.
Community impact
DOH Commissioner Seila Mosquera‑Bruno emphasized the human side of the development: “What is important is the families that will call this place home, the dinner tables where kids do homework, and the neighbors walking around—a beautiful place to be.” Mayor Pete Hess added that the project marks a turning point for a downtown that once thrived as an industrial hub.
Lamont noted that residents will be able to walk directly to the train station and travel to Waterbury, Stamford, or beyond, while commuters can easily reach Naugatuck for work. The project is being billed as a blueprint for future transit‑oriented development across the state.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
