Construction begins on 150 apartments along Connecticut River in East Hartford

Construction has begun on a long-planned 150-unit apartment development along the Connecticut River in East Hartford, moving the project at 341 East River Drive from approvals and financing into active work.

The $47.5 million project is being led by Simon Konover in partnership with Eastpointe LLC. It sits on a 35.3-acre riverfront property that has been owned by the Konover family for more than 40 years.

The latest reporting says the development will include 21 studios, 36 one-bedroom apartments, 67 two-bedroom apartments and 26 three-bedroom apartments. The site plan calls for three three-story buildings and one four-story building.

The first completed building is expected to open for leasing in about 12 months, and the full project is projected to take about 15 months to complete. Greg Konover said the buildings will be built sequentially and leased as each one is finished.

From approvals to construction

The project’s move into construction follows a long series of public approvals. In December 2024, the State Bond Commission approved $6.5 million in financing through the Capital Region Development Authority.

East Hartford later approved an eight-year tax agreement in May 2025. Under that deal, taxes are fully abated in the first year and then step down each year until reaching 35% by year eight. The town also capped permit fees as part of the arrangement.

Local planners then approved the subdivision in August 2025, followed by special permit approval in September 2025. Those steps cleared the way for construction to begin this month.

The project also includes a $37 million construction loan from M&T Bank. Together with the state-backed financing and town tax relief, the package helped push the development from a proposal to a live job site.

Site and financing details

The riverfront property has been in the Konover family for decades. Company officials previously said the site had been considered for office use, but that plan was dropped as the office market weakened.

The housing proposal now uses the waterfront land for a residential project with private garages, a clubhouse, a pool, riverfront recreation and access to Riverfront Recapture’s trail system. Planned rents are projected to range from about $1,800 to $3,400 a month.

The development is also part of a broader effort to reuse river-adjacent land for housing in East Hartford. The project adds 150 market-rate apartments to the town’s supply and extends residential development along the Connecticut River frontage.

What to watch next

The latest reporting says 19.7 acres are being donated for conservation, preserving public river access as the development advances. That land transfer and any trail access arrangement will be worth watching as construction continues.

The next milestones are whether the reported 15-month schedule holds, whether the first building starts leasing on the expected timetable and whether later phases stay on the sequential buildout plan.

The project has been described in earlier coverage as Commerce Center Apartments and Riverview Square, but the latest reporting refers to it more broadly as a 150-unit riverfront apartment development.