Connecticut
Is Connecticut’s Apartment Development The Right Strategy For Economic Growth?
By Kevin Mcnabola
Orange Board of Finance
Kevin McNabola
As you travel around Connecticut, you quickly notice the massive redevelopment and adaptive reuse opportunities taking place literally overnight within many of the state’s cities.
Many of these redevelopment projects include constructing massive market-rate apartment complexes which often include a 10 percent low-income affordable housing component.
I was recently in New Britain and noticed that the city is converting an old manufacturing plant, which back in the 1960s built electric appliances, into a new 154-unit apartment building. The redevelopment, which includes 79 one-bedroom, 59 two-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom units, targets young middle-income professionals and fixed income seniors.
Recently we have seen similar developments in New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, East Hartford and Meriden targeting young professionals. Most of these developments are located within a transit oriented district, which includes a rail system and shopping centers for young professionals to commute easily to Stamford or New York while having the convenience of walking to the grocery store and restaurants.
The goal of transit-oriented development is to use transit centers to enhance economic development, job accessible housing, retail amenities and quality of life in many of Connecticut’s walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. Responsible growth is a strategy to accommodate future development in a way that reinforces existing communities, uses resources efficiently and protects the environment.
The real question is whether this housing plan is sustainable, particularly since now many of the recent expansions include apartment complexes outside of the transit-oriented districts. The massive, rapid expansion of market-rate apartments eventually comes with a price tag for cities and towns that house them.
What is the long-term plan for these apartment complexes? It might seem like a great plan today, since many young professionals like the apartment style living. But what happens when the young middle-income professionals move out and buy a new house in the suburbs? The reality of apartment-style complexes is that over time there is tremendous budgetary pressure put on city resources in the areas of education, police, fire, EMS, public utilities and social services when the young professionals migrate to the suburbs for the purchase of their first home and vacant apartments are then backfilled by transients.
This same exact scenario played out in real time back in the 1980s in West Haven. The politicians in West Haven struck deals with developers and changed the zoning regulations so that developers could construct multiple apartment complexes and three-family homes throughout the center district, thus requiring huge increases in funding for city, sewer, water and education services.
Will Connecticut’s transit oriented district and apartment strategy pay off economically in the future and lead to vibrant communities? Or will the economics revert back to the basics in that the growing demand for more housing will be be met with a growing supply of housing – ultimately leading to growth in city services and city funding requiring additional taxes. In the end, time will tell which scenario actually plays out.
Kevin McNabola is the chief financial officer for the city of Meriden and a member of the Orange Board of Finance.
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
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