Image courtesy of Amenta Emma

New Haven’s multifamily developers are venturing further from downtown than ever before with a new project near the city’s border with West Haven.

South Dakota investment firm Catalina Buffalo Holdings hopes to build 194 apartments on what is currently a collection of dilapidated light industrial parcels at the intersection of Congress and Davenport Avenues in the city’s Hill neighborhood. The company is newcomer to Connecticut, only listing a few small multifamily complexes and one South Dakota motel on its website.

Plans filed with the city show a 5-story, 188,150-square-foot building. Amenities include a fitness center with a “yoga/flex space,” tenant lounge and a bike storage room, plus an 11,000-square-foot courtyard equipped with grills and a roof deck connected to a clubhouse room and coworking space. Parking will consist of 137 vehicle spaces on the ground floor and in outdoor lots, including electric vehicle chargers for 10 spots, plus 30 bicycle spaces.

In its application for planning permission, Catalina Buffalo outlined the unit mix as 73 studios, 88 one-bedrooms, 25 two-bedrooms and eight three-bedrooms. Per city ordinance, 10 units will be set aside for tenants earning 50 percent or less of area median income. Thanks to the area being zoned for general business uses, however, Catalina’s application claims rezoning will not be necessary. Two underground holding tanks will be used to let stormwater soak into the soil beneath the project.

The project is being reviewed by the New Haven City Plan Commission on Oct. 6.