CA Ventures executives Brian Brodeur and Sarah Maxson in front of the construction site of The Archive, a 160-unit apartment complex planned for 808 and 848 Chapel St. in New Haven.
April 20, 2023
Developer breaks ground on Ninth Square apartment complex
PHOTOS | Liese Klein
City officials and development executives break ground for The Archive complex on April 20, 2023.
By Liese Klein
More than 160 new apartments are set to rise in a long vacant and fire-scarred section of Chapel Street as part of a project announced with a ground-breaking on Thursday.
The complex, consisting of two new buildings under construction at 808 and 848 Chapel St., will be known as The Archive and is expected to be ready for tenants by next summer, according to Chicago-based developer CA Ventures.
“Sixteen months from now we will have a two-building community to add to vibrant downtown New Haven,” said Brian Brodeur, executive vice president of development for CA Ventures. The Chapel Street project is the midsize developer’s first project in New Haven.
Construction started earlier this year on the $50 million-plus complex, which will include two levels of interior parking and street-level retail space. The eastbound lane of Chapel Street was closed off to traffic this week to allow for streetscape and other improvements.
The section of the building site adjacent to Orange Street was once home to the former Kresge department store, which burned down in 2007.
One building at the site will house 120 of the apartments, with the other building containing 46 apartments and shared amenity space. The Archive complex is separated by a battered building at 824 Chapel that is being used as construction headquarters – the private owner has declined to sell, according to city officials.
CA Ventures chose “The Archive” name for the complex to reflect New Haven’s historic downtown, according to New Development Specialist Sarah Maxson. The interiors will feature modern design with a mix of classic materials.
All apartments will be rented at market rate, with rents to be determined as the project gets closer to completion. Some of CA Ventures’ $1.1 million purchase price for the property was set aside for affordable housing, city officials noted. The city sold the land to the developer in 2022.
“We look forward to the day when we can welcome our first residents home to The Archive,” Maxson said.
New Haven Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli said the ground-breaking represents the revival of the Ninth Square district and ongoing strength in the city’s housing market. Four major projects are underway within walking distance of The Archive site, with the planned addition of more than 550 new housing units.
Developer Clay Fowler broke ground in November on the first phase of an apartment project planned nearby for the former New Haven Coliseum site.
“The market confidence in our city is really, really strong,” Piscitelli said.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
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