EAST HAVEN, Conn. — WinnCompanies has opened The Tyler, a mixed-income apartment community for seniors in East Haven, a suburb of New Haven.
The project, a redevelopment of the 84-year-old former East Haven High School building, will be the first historic adaptive reuse project in the United States to meet the industry’s strictest standards for energy performance, according to WinnCompanies.
The three-story property, 104,871-square-foot property features 70 apartments for individuals age 55 and older. The property was recently named as the nation’s Best Overall Development and Green Building of the Year in Affordable Housing Finance magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.
“This project delivers high-quality, critically needed seniors housing; restores a beautiful, historic landmark; sets a high bar for energy efficiency and sustainability; and returns a long-vacant property to the tax rolls,” says Larry Curtis, WinnDevelopment president and managing partner.
Two thirds of the apartments are already leased. Twenty apartments rent at market rates and 50 others are available to residents earning from 25 percent to 80 percent of area median income.
Designed and built to meet the Passive House Institute’s EnerPHit Standard with applicable historic exclusions, The Tyler expects to use 20 percent less energy than an Energy Star new-construction building. A 90-kilowatt solar energy system on the roof will contribute to even greater carbon reductions.
“Adaptive reuse presents exciting opportunities to showcase how we can utilize old structures for modern purposes,” says Seila Mosquera-Bruno, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing. “The reimagining of this high school into energy-efficient homes that are affordable is a remarkable transformation.”
Financing for the $21.5 million project came from federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA); historic rehabilitation tax credits from the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO); soft debt from the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) Flex Program; construction financing from Bank of America and Citizens Bank; Affordable Housing Program funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston; energy rebates from United Illuminating; partnership equity from Bank of America; and a low-interest permanent loan from BlueHub Capital. As a project partner, the Town of East Haven agreed to a 10-year deferred property tax structure.
The Tyler is managed by WinnResidential, which now operates 16 apartment properties in 10 Connecticut communities, featuring 2,439 units across all income categories and 22,600 square feet of commercial space. The Architectural Team served as architect, and Keith Construction was the general contractor for the project.
Steven Winter Associates served as the project’s Certified Passive House Consultant. Building Efficiency Resources provided Energize Connecticut program support. Sunwealth, a clean energy investment firm, will own and operate the building’s rooftop solar array.