Work began Wednesday on a multi-million dollar residential and retail development in New Haven.
The 3.1 acre property at 1040 -1070 State Street in New Haven will become the new home of 232 loft-style apartments, said developers, who were at the site for a ceremonial ground breaking.
“It'll be three to six stories tall, and inside that project will be a 300 car parking garage as well. It's designed so that it's really part of the neighborhood,” said Andrew Montelli with Post Road Residential Inc.
The existing brick building on the corner of State, Mechanic, and Lawrence Streets will be renovated into 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail space with three residential units on the second floor.
The project site is in the Orange Street Historic District, and developers and architects worked with the community to figure out how to design the space.
“To be able to have a project that's mixed-use, we're you'll have an active site on the first floor, something that people will enjoy walking next to, and then residential on the top, I think will be a real benefit to the neighborhood,” said Jessica Holmes, who is the alder for Ward 9.
The new market-rate apartments will also help New Haven’s housing needs. Currently, there is a low vacancy rate.
“We need residential housing in New Haven, and I think it will help to reduce the cost of residential housing in our City if we have more of it,” said New Haven Mayor Toni Harp.
