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 Approved as 40-Unit Project with Half the Units Set Aside at Below-Market Rents

Key decision and what it means

A four-story apartment building at 12 Godfrey Place in Wilton has won approval to become a 40-unit complex with a full 50% affordability set-aside. The project won a reluctant sign-off from the town planning and zoning commission after a months-long, sometimes heated process that has become part of a larger state debate over housing policy and incentives.

Why approval came despite local objections

Commissioners approved the plan under a state affordability pathway that limits the town’s ability to deny proposals unless denial is based on clear public safety or health grounds. The commission’s vote was described as reluctant, with civic leaders citing parking, loading-zone size and electric charging station placement as unresolved concerns. The project sits on a 0.62-acre parcel just west of the town library and replaces an existing roughly 10,000-square-foot building. The developer trimmed the original proposal from 42 units to 40 before re-submitting under the state statute.

Connection to statewide incentives: Build for CT

The Wilton project is among a group of developments across Connecticut that have qualified for help through the state’s Build for CT program. That program, authorized with $200 million in 2023 and financed with bonds, offers low-interest, gap-style financing to encourage developers to include below-market-rate apartments. To date, 20 projects have been approved under the program, adding roughly 2,700 units statewide. Developers have received about $88 million in low-interest loans so far, which has helped secure roughly 740 units intended for households earning between 60% and 120% of area median income.

Program scale and examples

The largest Build for CT award approved so far supports a waterfront apartment project in Bridgeport that will contain 160 units; that project received $20 million in program funding. Average Build for CT activity works out to about $125,000 of financing per affordable unit across approved projects, although amounts vary. Some projects in affluent towns show lower per-unit subsidy when funding is spread across many market-rate units; Wilton’s new project and a Westport complex both set aside half their units at below-market rents, the highest percentage among approved deals so far.

Local politics and statewide policy clash

The Wilton decision unfolded amid a broader state fight over a proposed housing law aimed at expanding affordable housing and easing approval processes. Local officials and residents have expressed concern that state tools could override local land-use control and strain town services. In Wilton, a bipartisan group of local board chairs and commissioners formally urged the governor to veto legislation they said would force growth without accounting for infrastructure or fiscal capacity. At the same time, state leaders and program managers argue incentive and gap financing programs are essential to change developer calculations and produce units that would otherwise not exist.

Local process: timeline, tactics, and commission views

Planning leaders had earlier praised design details of a smaller, three-story concept, but the applicant ultimately resubmitted under the affordable-housing statute after regulatory timelines slowed and pre-application discussions proved contentious. Town staff advised that a denial not grounded in demonstrable safety concerns would likely fail in court, a legal reality that guided many votes. Commissioners expressed frustration at being forced into decisions by statute and at the town’s earlier planning choices, which they said left Wilton with fewer options to shape housing outcomes.

Broader housing picture in Connecticut

Statewide, the Build for CT approvals represent about 18% of the nearly 15,200 units municipalities approved for construction in 2023–2024. Aside from Build for CT, the state runs another major program that helps first-time buyers cover down-payment shortfalls, described as gap financing to complete deals. Program managers report dozens of developer inquiries and additional projects on the cusp of receiving funding in other towns. Despite these moves, state officials and housing experts say Connecticut remains far short of the housing needed to improve affordability, citing high construction costs and local approval hurdles as main barriers.

What comes next in Wilton

The approved complex is expected to begin leasing the summer following final approvals. The town’s planning commission attached conditions meant to address safety-related concerns, including sign-off from the fire marshal on the electric charging station layout. Local officials said they expect more similar applications in the future unless towns proactively adopt different zoning tools and master-plan strategies to guide development and affordability goals.

Why this matters

The Wilton approval is a local example of how state incentives and statutory tools are reshaping the housing landscape. For residents, the decision affects local parking, traffic and service planning. For policymakers, the project illustrates how gap financing and legal pathways are being used to expand below-market housing in towns where traditional market forces and local regulation had limited such development.

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FAQ

Key project features at a glance

Feature	Detail
Address	12 Godfrey Place, Wilton, CT
Units	40 apartments (revised from 42)
Affordability	50% of units set aside at below-market rents
Site size	0.62 acre; existing ~10,000 sq ft building to be demolished
On-site parking	40 spaces (one per unit); cited as potentially insufficient by commissioners
Program connection	Included among projects aligned with the state’s Build for CT incentive program
Expected lease start	Leasing expected to begin the summer following final approvals
Approval pathway	Approved under state affordable-housing statute with conditions, including fire marshal sign-off on charging stations

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