After four years as a land-use attorney and nearly 17 more as an executive with Simsbury-based multifamily developer Vesta Corp., Lewis Brown struck out on his own in late 2021 to start a new development firm.
Brown, now 52, is managing member of Avon-based Honeycomb Real Estate, a firm that is picking up steam after completing in May a roughly $26 million conversion of the West Hartford Inn into 44 affordable apartments.
Honeycomb is underway with a ground-up development of a 64-unit affordable apartment building in New Haven, on a lot that formerly hosted a dry cleaner. Work there is expected to be completed in early fall.
Brown’s company is partnered with Windsor-based Grava Properties on a two-phase redevelopment of a former manufacturing site along the Connecticut River in Enfield. Work on the first phase, a 156-unit apartment building, is expected to launch this coming winter.
The company is also pushing to launch a 36-unit affordable multifamily development in Chester, although neighbors have appealed local land-use approvals.
“Really, the goal here is to create and invest in sustainable and attainable communities,” Brown said during a recent interview.
While Honeycomb is building a solid record as a multifamily development company, Brown said he’s not interested in getting too large. All the company’s projects have some form of partner.
And smaller projects can still be “transformational” for communities, he said.
“It’s not about size,” Brown said. “It’s about making sure we are delivering and executing on results. As a small business, we are able to manage growth responsibly because we don’t have the same overhead of larger businesses. We can be more selective on what we are choosing to work on. I want to grow, but I want to do so in a reasonable way, and at a good pace.”