HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Land Bank (HLB) is continuing its drive to improve homeownership opportunities for city residents with two new housing projects in the city’s North End.
Representatives from the mayor’s office, the HLB, the state Department of Housing (DOH), and the Housing Development Fund were on hand to announce construction of new homes in the city.
The lots, located at 597 and 602 Garden Street, will be converted into two-family homes at each location. Each home will have three bedrooms and one or two bathrooms per unit. Construction is expected to last for the next four months, and one of the families at the addresses will have the opportunity to purchase the home.
As with the project announced back in June, the development of the project will be a joint venture between an experienced developer — Hartford developer Al Gary of Merestone, LLC — and new developers who have graduated from the HLB Developer Cohort. Funding is being provided by the Land Bank, DOH, and the Housing Development Fund.
The developer cohort alums who will be partnering on the project are Nathaniel Johnson, who will develop 597 Garden, and Tahara Chapman, who will develop 602 Garden. Both are graduates of the 2023 developer cohort and are Hartford residents.
The empty lot at 602 Garden St., Hartford, Connecticut on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Credit: Jamil Ragland / CT News Junkie
“What we have here is the best of Hartford at work,” said Marcus Ordoñez, executive director of the HLB. “Developers, lenders, funders, and the city, all working together to solve complex problems and amplifying each other in the process.”
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam also announced $4 million for a pilot program that would expand the HLB developer cohort program. He cited the rising cost of construction as the reason for these and other home ownership programs, as the expense of building a house outstrips what working-class people in a city like Hartford can afford.
“If we don’t create the dollars to fill those gaps, then home ownership will never take root in cities like Hartford,” he said. “We will never address the extent of the housing crisis we have in places like Hartford and communities all over the state. We need to bring resources to bear.”
Julian Pierce, deputy commissioner of the DOH, said the state of Connecticut has invested over $214 million in housing developments in Hartford since 2019, creating nearly 1,300 new units. Additionally, another 450 units are currently under construction, and 280 more units are at various stages of pre-development.
“We know in these trying economic times, the dream of homeownership feels like it’s getting further and further away,” he said. “It’s up to us as the state of Connecticut, at the Department of Housing, to ensure that dream can continue to become a reality for our residents.”
Chapman said that she was “humbled” by the opportunity to develop housing in her local community, a mission she called both impactful and inspiring.
“As a proud Harford resident, a Harford business owner, a Harford realtor, and now a Hartford developer, this collaboration represents more than just a professional milestone,” she said. “It is a personal commitment to the continued growth and revitalization of our city. I look forward to many more opportunities to contribute meaningfully to this community’s future.”