A decade of investment

Just a few blocks away from the state capital and downtown Hartford sits Frog Hollow, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, home to about 10,000 of Hartford’s 125,000 residents. Decades of disinvestment, poverty, and lack of opportunity in this once thriving industrial powerhouse, have taken a toll on the neighborhood.

Recognizing the opportunity to make significant change in a square block area, the Trust began a decade of deep investment in the north end of the neighborhood in 2003. We focused on both immediate needs and longer-term goals with a commitment to generating greater stability in the neighborhood by increasing community health and engagement, developing meaningful employment opportunities, and showcasing the neighborhood as a vibrant place for others to invest in and support.

Our investments at Billings Forge and the surrounding area have resulted in:

Over 100 renovated units of mixed income housing
A year-round farmer’s market and community garden
An award-winning farm-to-table restaurant
A culinary training program
A social enterprise kitchen and café, which serves as a catering and retail sales business for the community and beyond
A home for local nonprofits and meeting space for the community

Girl looking at green beans
Family members surrounding a smiling baby
The Lyceum Conference Center

Lyceum building facadeIn 2003, the Trust made its first investment in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, purchasing and renovating the historic Lyceum building.

Originally built in 1895 as a gym and community center for the waves of immigrants coming to work in Hartford’s booming factories, the stately brick building has also served as a box factory, a social club, and an ad agency.

Today it’s a hub of housing advocacy and community organizing, providing a home for nonprofits and meeting space for community members, and policy makers, and organizations concerned about affordable housing.

The Lyceum is managed by and the home of the Partnership for Strong Communities, the housing policy and advocacy nonprofit founded by the Trust in 1998.

Learn more about the Lyceum and how to book the space for an event.

 

Billings Forge Apartments

In the early 19th century, the grand Billings Forge Complex was home to one of the most successful manufacturing sites in the state. First as a producer of firearms, then a producer of wrenches and other tools, Billings Forge was a thriving economic engine of the area. In the 1970’s Billings Forge was converted to 98 apartments. Approximately 50% of the apartments are subsidized by Section 8 housing vouchers.

In 2005 the Trust purchased the Billings Forge Complex and some neighboring houses and began rehabilitating and restoring these properties. From 2005-2011, we worked to improve the safety and quality of the 112 apartments and to ensure that they remain affordable residential units for the community.

In 2014, we entered into a partnership with Preservation for Affordable Housing (POAH), a national nonprofit, to leverage investment for capital improvements to the properties while ensuring that they remain affordable and resident services are available. If you visit Billings Forge today, you’ll notice a classically restored façade that meet historic preservation standards enclosing beautifully upgraded and modernized apartments.

Learn more about the partnership between the Trust and POAH.

 

Forge City Works

After renovating the apartments, we began to focus on ways the Trust could foster community engagement and economic opportunity in the community. In 2007, we provided seed funding to establish the nonprofit Forge City Works. Based in the Billings Forge Complex, Forge City Works provides residents and the local Hartford community with dynamic programming centered around healthy food including:

The Kitchen: This cafe and bakery provides adult culinary job training for Hartford residents and a successful retail and catering business at Billings Forge.

Youth: Continuing the focus on food and community, Forge City Works runs a customer service job training and internship program in the culinary arts at the Kitchen.

Farmers Market: Every Thursday, Forge City Works hosts Hartford’s biggest farmers market, bringing fresh and local food to the neighborhood.

Learn more about Forge City Works.

Group of food service trainees