The parking lot that once held the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum will soon become a bioscience technology hub.
The former sports and entertainment arena opened in 1972, closed in 2002 and was demolished five years later. Since 2007, it has been used as a parking lot.
Now, the site will be home to a class-A life science and technology office building, and the state is putting up almost $1 million to support the project.
According to Mayor Justin Elicker (D), the construction will bring jobs to the city — and so will the building's new tenants.
“We want more and more New Haven residents that have historically not had access to jobs in the life sciences and bioscience sector to have more access to them,” Elicker said.
Once completed, the building will be home to approximately 750 employees, according to Peter Calkins, vice president of development at Ancora L&G, the company responsible for developing the building. It will also include apartments.
In addition to the office building, another mixed-use apartment building will also open on the lot. Construction on that began in late 2022.
The state grant, worth $999,000, will cover a portion of the cost of soil remediation, disposal and excavation for the new building.
Governor Ned Lamont said he’s happy to help transform the old concert hub into something new.
“I think you're making a new type of music here right now,” Lamont said. “I hear progress right here.”
Calkins estimates the construction will cost $200 million in total.
He said the company is still waiting on a lease and some construction financing, and can not begin construction until then. He hopes they will be cleared to begin this spring, and open for business in 2026.
