Ground floor retail and 299 market-rate rental units are under construction at Adam America's new project in New Haven's Wooster Square. Image courtesy of Niles Bolton Assoc.

A major upset in New Haven’s Democratic primary election could have implications for the city’s development boom.

Toni Harp, who was seeking a fourth two-year term, lost Tuesday to former East Rock alderman Justin Elicker.

Harp, whose campaign was hurt by revelations of a federal investigation into the finances of the city’s Youth Services Department, is considering running in November on the Working Families Party line.

In his campaign, Elicker cited statistics saying 41 percent of city residents spent more than 30 percent of their gross income on housing. In response, he pledged to support inclusionary zoning policies for market-rate multifamily projects, find ways to support the construction of accessory dwelling units and change zoning in certain areas to unlock the development potential of empty lots. Elicker did not commit to a specific affordable housing percentage for market-rate projects, but city officials recently debated a 10 percent requirement. Earlier this year, a city task force issued a slate of recommendations to boost affordability in the city, including raising building heights.

In addition, Elicker said he would increase pressure on landlords to comply with building codes and increase use of the city’s $100-per-day blight fines to tackle vacant or run-down properties in the city.

Elicker has also called for Yale to be encouraged to expand vertically, by building taller buildings instead of buying more areas of the city.

The city has drawn significant interest from developers and investors in recent years. Around 1,500 units of multifamily housing are proposed, permitted or under construction in and around New Haven’s downtown, including 277 permitted by mid-year, with more proposed or under review.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.