The redevelopment of the former M. Swift & Sons gold leafing factory is transforming the former industrial complex into a food business hub that will be geared toward creating jobs and opportunities for neighborhood residents.

On July 25, neighborhood residents had an opportunity to tour the Swift Factory property and envision the potential of the new site. The community is hopeful that the new hub will breathe life back into the economically depressed neighborhood.

““This is like a breath of fresh air,” said Rosa Bailey, former neighborhood resident who now lives in Bloomfield. “This is going to spark something in people who have been dreaming for years about doing something.”

Residents like Brenda Turner, who grew up in the North End and now lives in Windsor, say they can picture the Swift factory standing at the center of a bustling local economy, like it did decades ago.

Read the full article by the Hartford Courant here.