Stamford Receives Grant to Benefit Vita District - 11/19/11
The City of Stamford has received a Community Challenge Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the amount of $1,105,288 to transform the West Side neighborhood of Stamford into a new Vita health and wellness district. The City has teamed up with Charter Oak Communities, Stamford Hospital and an array of community groups to focus on three key elements:
- Development of a new $600 million expansion in and reinvestment of the Stamford Hospital campus by Stamford Health System with an adjacent health and wellness district;
- Development of mixed-use and affordable housing by Charter Oak Communities including land acquisition and initiatives by both the public and private sectors to rehabilitate blighted housing and buildings in the existing neighborhood; and
- Improvement of transportation corridors to provide better walking, transit, and vehicle access into and within the Vita district connecting to Stamford’s downtown transportation hub, jobs center, and to the broader region.
The funding will support the following program components:
- Planning activities to facilitate integration of health-related clinic, offices and retail establishments into the Health and Wellness District;
- Land acquisition and planning for the development and integration of affordable housing into the project corridor;
- Planning activities to develop and incorporate transit and parking improvement strategies into the project corridor.
- Outreach and education to increase the participation of community groups into the planning process.
New Westwood community opens - 10/20/11
In late October, Mayor Michael Pavia and special guests joined Charter Oak Communities (COC) in the formal dedication of its newest residential community, Westwood.
Construction is now complete for Westwood located at 58 Progress Drive on Stamford’s West Side. COC has overseen its development, project management and marketing, and residents began moving in earlier this summer. Now 100 percent occupied, Westwood is one of several mixed-income developments replacing Vidal Court.
Westwood features 95 mixed-income residences. The new community has been architecturally designed to resemble a New England village, with the homes arranged around a town square, and will feature a variety of attractive extras to enhance comfort, quality, appeal and safety. Features include 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom townhouse and ranch-style apartments with designer kitchens, hardwood floors, as well as an on-site fitness room.
Westwood will create a self-sufficient housing resource for working families. Most importantly, it reflects another significant step in helping COC realize its mission of providing desirable, affordable housing opportunities for Stamford residents.
