Historic Tax Credits
$4 Million Federal
New Markets Tax Credits
$10 Million
Total Development Cost
$30.2 Million
Project Partner
Community Solutions International
Impact
Economic Development, and more.
History
Home of the M. Swift & Sons Company
The M. Swift & Sons Company Historic District was founded and constructed between 1887 to 1948 in Northeast Hartford, CT. The district’s factory complex, called Swift Factory, consisted of five interconnected buildings and two historic residences. The Swift Factory once functioned as the home of the M. Swift & Sons Company throughout its over one-hundred-year story, making it a significant component of the City’s industrial heritage. Over its history, the products manufactured at the site included gold and silver leaf, hot dye stamping foils, and gold plating products.
Once a hub of economic vitality for the community, the factory was eventually closed and has been vacant for more than a decade. A new vision for revitalization is now emerging. Together with local residents and community organizers, nonprofit Community Solutions is redeveloping the complex to capitalize on the assets of the community and address needs for high quality jobs and community services.
Revitalization Efforts
A Vacant Factory Comes to Life
The adaptive reuse of the former Swift Factory returned the vacant manufacturing space into a state-of-the-art facility that provides high-quality jobs for residents of the surrounding community, specifically those considered low-income. The space also includes a commercial food manufacturing kitchen, a food business incubator, community space and non-profit office space.
Community Impact
Generating Local Jobs
The renewed Swift Factory hosts tenants that provide a range of job opportunities. The project generated 45 full-time-equivalent construction jobs and created 100 permanent jobs.
The anchor tenant is the manufacturing arm of Bears Smokehouse Barbecue, a locally owned, Missouri-style barbecue restaurant and a condiments and spice producer. The new location allowed them to expand their retail, wholesale, and online sales of sauces and meats and created roughly 60 manufacturing jobs. Bears Smokehouse is committed to hiring members of the local community including individuals with barriers to employment such as those who have been formerly incarcerated.
The Swift Factory also provides space for FreshBox Farms, an established regional hydroponic operator that provides fresh produce for the community. Additional healthy food options are generated
through a food business incubator that provides 10 certified food production spaces for local entrepreneurs who have access to a shared commercial cooler and freezer, a co-packing facility, training, and a mentorship network for small businesses.
Additional space hosts several non-profit organizations. Tenants include Food Corps, Girls for Technology, and Community Solutions. Visiting artists, chefs, storytellers, physicians, and farmers also have access to dedicated community and art space.
Environmentally sustainable practices such as ecological surface storm water management, water conservation in common areas, improved thermal performance of all onsite windows, air sealing at all openings, high-efficiency HVAC, and energy efficient light fixtures in common spaces were also incorporated into the rehabilitation of Swift Factory.
10
Food Production Spaces
100
Permanent Jobs Created
45
Construction Jobs Created
60
Manufacturing Jobs Supported
NTCIC & Progress
Economic Impact
Swift Factory was made possible, in part, by NTCIC through an equity investment in the $4 million in federal Historic Tax Credits (HTC) generated by the project as well as a $10 million New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation.
Check Out Similar Projects Here
Browse all projects
West Side Bazaar
A New Incubator and Cultural Marketplace in Buffalo
27 Chandler
From Historic Refrigeration Warehouse to Community-Based Food Incubator
Crescent Commons
Crescent Corset Company Building Becomes Housing and Nonprofit Space
West Side Bazaar
A New Incubator and Cultural Marketplace in Buffalo
27 Chandler
From Historic Refrigeration Warehouse to Community-Based Food Incubator
Crescent Commons
Crescent Corset Company Building Becomes Housing and Nonprofit Space
Want to Discuss Your Next Project? Talk With Our Team Today.
We bring clear insight, deep experience, and strategic focus to every project, whether you're structuring complex capital or shaping long-term, legacy-driven development.
