Luis Adorno
Realtor Luis Adorno has joined the Fairfield office of Prudential Connecticut Realty.
“Luis brings with him more than a decade of experience in retail management and has folded that into his real estate career over the past year,” said Fairfield Office Leader Melissa Riley. “We welcome sales professionals with this kind of background because retail management, like the real estate industry, places great importance on quality customer service.”
Adorno, who likened his relationship to his clients as one of a teacher helping to educate buyers, many of them first-timers, said he seeks to provide as much information to his clients as possible so that they can make informed decisions. Whether working with buyers or sellers, he said, due diligence and attention to detail are his watchwords.
Adorno, a Bridgeport native, will serve both homebuyers and sellers in Bridgeport and Fairfield.
In his free time, Adorno gives back to the community. Earlier this year, he was among a group of Realtors raising funds for the Norma F. Phriem Breast Cancer Center in Fairfield.
Adorno earned an associate’s degree in business administration from Housatonic Community College.
Ground Broken for Complex
The Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford recently broke ground on a new apartment complex on Zion Street. The group is building a 24-apartment complex at 515 Zion St., a lot that has been vacant for several years. While MHA has renovated seven other properties in the Greater Hartford area, including its office on Niles Street, Zion Street is its first new construction project.
“After several complicated renovations projects, where we worked hard to preserve the original architecture and materials, we look forward to a building where everything will be new,” said Edwin P. Williams, president of MHA’s board of directors.
The Zion Street apartments are expected to be completed by November of next year. The complex will include 22 three-bedroom units and two units with two-bedrooms.
“The Zion Street property has been vacant for several years and before we could break ground for the new building, several old, dilapidated buildings had to be demolished,” said Catherine T. MacKinnon, executive director of MHA.
To purchase the vacant property and finance construction, MHA received funding from many sources, including the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, City of Hartford, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, National Equity Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corp., NeighborWorks America, Bank of America, Connecticut Housing Investment Fund, St. Paul Travelers and Neighborhood Capital Corp.
The new building is designed to blend into the architecture of the neighborhood and is reminiscent of the “Perfect Six” apartment buildings that are common in the area. The Hartford Preservation Alliance is among the supporters of the Zion Street project.
“This project addresses two issues that are central to our mission,” said Laura Knott-Twine, executive director of the Hartford Preservation Alliance. “The project will revitalize the neighborhood, while preserving the sense of community and sense of place. Mutual Housing is always sensitive to the surrounding homes in the community.”
MHA also owns and manages the apartments on Park Terrace and Park Terrace II, located behind the Zion Street property.
“Mutual housing” is a form of resident-controlled housing, where MHA owns the property and residents are members of the association, having permanent rights to their housing as long as they live up to their responsibilities as members. Residents are expected to participate cooperatively in at least one activity that maintains the property or strengthens the community.
