Photo courtesy of Svigals + Partners

New London’s latest apartment building development, called “The Beam, is now opened.

The 170,000-square-foot, 203-unit, market-rate building is owned by RJ Development and was designed by New Haven architecture firm Svigals + Partners.

“RJ Development is thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with and within the City of New London to develop and deliver our newest multi-family project, the Beam,” Jason Rudnick, principal of RJ Development, said in a statement. “The project team that assisted us has been an excellent partner in creating a dynamic project that adds to New London’s vitality in a meaningful way.”

In addition to water views, amenities include a fifth-floor outdoor terrace, fitness center, club room with kitchenette, business enclave for remote work, fire-pit lounge and outdoor grilling area, dog park and walking path.

Located at 221 Howard St., the project is the first significant new multifamily building to rise in the city in some time, and the first multifamily development in an waterfront urban renewal area around the city’s Fort Trumbull historic landmark.

The Beam is a welcomed stimulus for interest and activity in the region,” Svigals + Partners architect Ron Cooper said in a statement. “Now, some 1,000 people have a beautiful and inviting place to call home, attracting new retail, restaurant, and business development.”

Another Fort Trumbull-area parcel was approved in 2021 for a 109-unit extended stay hotel and 104-unit apartment complex by Optimus Senior Living Group of Massachusetts, and another three were OK’d for a total of 500 units and a 6-story parking garage earlier this year. Smaller developments being planned in the city – whose long-term need for housing is exploding thanks to a major expansion at submarine-builder Electric Boat Co. – include a 30-unit building from innovative developer Vessel Technologies that tries to use modular and prefabricated components to reduce construction costs.