Wilton Center Lofts Approved with 50% Affordable Units

Wilton, Connecticut, August 18, 2025

News Summary

Wilton Center Lofts, a four-story apartment project at 12 Godfrey Place in Wilton, Connecticut, received approval as a 40-unit building with 50% of units designated below-market-rate. The approval followed a contentious planning commission review that raised concerns about limited on-site parking, loading zone layouts and emergency access, but legal pressure from the state’s 8-30g affordable housing statute and participation in the Build for CT program influenced the decision. The approval includes conditions such as fire marshal sign-off on electric bicycle charging stations. The project is part of a statewide effort using low-interest financing to expand below-market and middle-income housing.

Wilton Center Lofts at 12 Godfrey Place Approved as 40-Unit Building with Half the Units Set Aside as Affordable

A four-story apartment building at 12 Godfrey Place in Wilton, Connecticut, won conditional approval and will move forward as a 40-unit project with 50% of its units reserved at below-market rents. The project, known as Wilton Center Lofts, was approved under the state’s affordable housing paths after the developer refiled the plan as an 8-30g application. Construction was underway in August 2025 and leasing is expected to begin the following summer.

Why this matters now

The Wilton Center Lofts approval comes as Connecticut rolls out the Build for CT program, a statewide effort to encourage the addition of below-market-rate apartments through incentives and low-interest financing. The Wilton project is notable for setting aside half its units for middle-income households, exceeding the 8-30g guideline that normally requires a 30% affordability set-aside. That high percentage places the Wilton project among the most heavily affordable projects approved under the program to date.

Local vote and planning context

The town’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved the project in a vote described by commissioners as reluctant and cautious. Commissioners repeatedly voiced frustration with the 8-30g statute and the limited legal options available when developers use that state law. The vote followed lengthy debate over parking sufficiency, loading-zone size, and the configuration of electric bicycle charging stations—concerns flagged as potentially affecting emergency access unless addressed. Conditions attached to approval require sign-off from the fire marshal and other technical fixes before final permits.

The developer originally proposed a 42-unit design for the 0.62-acre parcel just west of the Wilton Library, but revised the plan and submitted it under 8-30g after disagreements over timing and the town’s master plan. Town officials had previously sought a memo tying the design to upcoming zoning changes; the developer withdrew and then refiled, prompting the commission to weigh the legal risk of denial against the town’s desire for local control. Commissioners said denials on 8-30g grounds must be based on demonstrable public health or safety issues to be defensible in court.

Build for CT: statewide backdrop and numbers

Wilton Center Lofts is one of 20 projects approved so far under the Build for CT program, which the Connecticut General Assembly authorized in 2023 and which is financed through state bonds. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) has provided low-interest loans to projects under the program. To date CHFA has approved projects that together add roughly 2,700 housing units across the state, with developers receiving about $88 million in low-interest funding to include around 740 units targeted to middle-income households—defined for the program as households earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income.

Across approved projects the financing averages roughly $125,000 per affordable unit, though the amount per unit varies by project. The program’s loans are structured to be repaid and then recycled to support future developments. CHFA staff note dozens of additional developers have expressed interest or are exploring the program; several more projects in towns such as Colchester, Meriden, New Haven and West Hartford were reported to be on the cusp of approval.

Notable Build for CT examples and local reactions

The largest project approved so far is a waterfront building in Bridgeport receiving $20 million in program funding and expected to deliver 160 apartments with a mix of below-market and market-rate units. Locally, a Westport project and the Wilton Center Lofts stand out for setting aside half their units as below-market, the highest proportional set-aside among the current approvals. Some developers say state gap financing has been instrumental in making affordability feasible; municipal officials in smaller towns say incentives are crucial to persuading developers to build apartments where few existed previously.

Wilton’s planning record and the wider debate

The Wilton project unfolded amid a broader local debate over housing policy and a controversial pending state housing bill that aims to give municipalities new tools to boost affordable housing. Wilton officials point out that despite recent approvals the town remains well short of the state target for affordable housing as a share of total units. Planning commission members said past local choices and a delayed master plan left the town vulnerable to 8-30g filings. Commissioners warned similar applications could follow if the town does not adopt more proactive zoning measures.

The Wilton Center Lofts approval highlights the tension between local planning preferences and statewide efforts to expand affordability: incentives and legal avenues at the state level can unlock projects with significant affordable set-asides, but they also place pressure on municipalities to reconcile local control, infrastructure capacity and housing goals.

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Key features at a glance

Feature	Detail
Project name	Wilton Center Lofts (12 Godfrey Place)
Units	40 apartments (revised from 42)
Affordability	50% of units set aside at below-market rates
Site size	0.62 acres; existing building ~10,000 sq ft to be demolished
Approval path	8-30g affordable housing submission; conditional P&Z approval with technical conditions
Related state program	Build for CT (CHFA-administered, state-bond financed incentives)
Build for CT totals (to date)	20 projects; ~2,700 units; ~$88M in financing; ~740 middle-income units
Nearby notable Build for CT project	160-unit waterfront project with $20M in funding in Bridgeport

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• CT Insider: Build for CT affordable housing program
• Wikipedia: Affordable housing in the United States
• Wilton Bulletin: Wilton Center Lofts planning & zoning
• Google Search: Wilton Center Lofts
• The Hour: Wilton apartments — Toll Brothers & CommonFund
• Google Scholar: Wilton affordable housing
• Westfair: Are the Wilton Center Lofts a little too lofty?
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Wilton, Connecticut
• CT Insider: Wilton office-to-residential conversions
• Google News: Wilton affordable housing