New London - A HOPE house that's both affordable and geared toward a middle-income family is coming to completion on South Ledyard Street.

Most houses renovated by the affordable-housing group Housing Opportunities for People are geared toward families whose income is a fraction of the region's median income. But the four-bedroom home at 9 S. Ledyard St. that will be dedicated at noon today is available to a much larger potential market - a family of four, for instance, with an income up to $84,000 - and all for the listed prices of $145,000.

"It's a lot of room for a big family," said Marilyn Graham, HOPE's executive director, during a Thursday tour of the 1,920-square-foot home on about an eighth of an acre. "This is newer than most of what we do."

HOPE's main focus in New London has been in the Belden Street area, where houses generally date from the late 1800s. The home on South Ledyard Street, which cost HOPE more than $200,000 to renovate, was built in 1916 and turned out to be in better shape than many of the houses the New London-based nonprofit tackles, Graham said.

Highlights of the home revolve around a light-filled downstairs that includes a beautiful General Woodcraft kitchen with granite countertops as well as a half bath that doubles as the laundry room. Heart pine wood floors gleam in the downstairs, and the removal of a doorway from the dining room-living room into the kitchen has opened up the whole space to gracious entertaining.

"We were surprised how nice it worked," Graham said of the idea suggested by a General Woodcraft designer.

Heading upstairs, the foyer boasts a beautifully restored newell post that had previously been stained a dark brown, hiding the detail. The second floor includes a 12-foot by 15-foot master bedroom as well as plenty of closet space in the smaller bedrooms.

The former third-floor attic has been completely redone, adding a fourth bedroom as well as a play area with plenty of head room. A piece of stained glass by David Lersch sparkles in the light on the way to the upstairs, adding a touch of home.

Outside, there is a small yard as well as off-street parking, while the inside features a brand-new, high-efficiency gas furnace and updated electrical circuits and windows. The outside asbestos siding was left intact because it was in good shape, Graham said, but the home received a full lead abatement inside thanks to an $11,000 city grant.

The home was built largely through housing tax credits donated by Northeast Utilities.

First owner of the home, according to historical research by New London Landmarks, was Joseph P. McGarry, who was associated with McGarry and Nagle Liquors at 83 Lincoln Ave.

"The home stayed in the McGarry family until HOPE purchased it for $66,500 in 2012 from the estate of Lawrence Ryan," according to a project description.

The South Ledyard Street home is HOPE's second completed this year, the other being on Belden Street, where it also recently completed demolition of a building. The nonprofit has a home on Georgiana Street currently under rehabilitation, and will be building anew on the empty lot created by the tear-down.

"We're focusing mostly on Belden Street," Graham said.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow