Thomas Breen photo
Construction underway at 842-848 Chapel.
Shoveling ceremonial dirt for "The Archive."
One hundred and sixty-six new market-rate apartments — and at least one sauna — are en route for Chapel Street thanks to two new now-under-construction buildings slated for two long-vacant lots downtown.
City officials and representatives from the Chicago-based developer CA Ventures celebrated that latest example of New Haven’s market-rate apartment boom during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday afternoon outside of 808 and 842 – 848 Chapel St.
That’s where the general contractor Haynes Construction is busy building up a new five-story, 46-unit building with groundfloor retail at the southwest corner of Chapel and Orange Streets, as well as a new seven-story, 120-unit building with groundfloor retail on Chapel midway between Orange and Church Streets.
The corner and mid-block (below) developments.
CA Ventures New Development Specialist Sarah Maxson and Executive Vice President of Development Brian Brodeur said that the new mixed-use buildings — which have caused two eastbound lanes of Chapel to close to through traffic during construction — will be called “The Archive.” They should be finished and open to residents in 16 months.
They said the two-building development should cost north of $50 million to build, and that all of the studio, one‑, two‑, and three-bedroom apartments will rent at market rates. What those rents will ultimately be should be determined later this year.
Maxson added that the new mid-block building will include a host of amenities open to residents in both the corner and mid-block structures. Those will include the sauna, a gym, and a rooftop courtyard.
“We are thrilled to be investing in this community,” Maxson said as she praised the development sites’ location as close to so many restaurants, shops, bus stops and train stations, and other cultural landmarks. This is a “vibrant and dynamic city,” she said.
Thomas Breen file photo
City development chief Piscitelli: "How far we're come."
City Economic Development Administrator Mike Piscitelli recalled working in the city’s transit department back in 2007 when a fire destroyed the Kresge department store that used to stand at this very Chapel Street site. He described the “anxiety that came with that and the uncertainty of what would come next” for this stretch of downtown.
Fast forward this decade and a half later, this project is now under construction — and is one of four new housing projects within walking distance, including the ex-Coliseum site a few blocks south, that are bringing 550 new apartments to the area.
Piscitelli also spoke about a 2019 walking tour of the Ninth Square and downtown that his department led looking forward to so many of these new developments.
“How far we’ve come,” he said.
Devil's Gear Johnny Brehon: "We welcome you to the neighborhood."
Devil’s Gear bike shop co-owner Johnny Brehon agreed. “It’s about time,” he said with a smile, alluding to the many years these properties sat vacant. The sites were long owned by local developer Paul Denz, who won various approvals from the City Plan Commission and the Board of Alders to build up the site before selling the various Chapel properties to CA Ventures for $6.75 million last year.
“We welcome you to the neighborhood,” Brehon added.
And, while the eastbound car lane and sidewalk closures on the block are an inconvenience, he’s not complaining too much. Because the sidewalk on the north side of the street where his and many other shops stand is still open. And he’s already seen a bump in foot traffic — one that hopefully will be sustained when the lanes and sidewalk reopen, along with 166 new apartments and hundreds of new residents.
CA Ventures Project Manager Pat Lynn with city development deputy Steve Fontana.
Rendering of the new corner block development.
I will say it again.Gentrification and Colonialism are inseparable and continually mutually reinforce each other.Take a look at the City officials, developers, and the Negrow local business booster.They all remind me of the Five stages of colonialism which is 1.recon, 2. invasion, 3. occupation, and 4. assimilation of the area's original peoples by colonizers. 5. Judas Goats. Sad,Again Nothing for the poor and working poor.Michael Friedrich said it well when he said this.America’s housing crisis has reached unfathomable proportions. But new construction isn’t enough to solve it.Building more is not a panacea on its own. In fact, it can make the crisis worse without strong policies designed to help low-income people stay in affordable housing.