NEW HAVEN-The City of New Haven has chosen Live Work Learn Play Inc. as the preferred developer for the redevelopment of the 4.5-acre former coliseum site. The New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum was imploded in 2007 and since then the site has primarily served as parking, leased by the city.

The city hopes to redevelop the area into a mixed-use neighborhood that will serve “as the gateway to downtown,” according to a news release about the plans. Mayor John DeStefano, in that news release, credits the real estate market, in part, for enabling the project to move forward. Movement on the project dates back as far as 2008, when the city issued a Request for Qualifications for the redevelopment of the site that identified a frontrunner, though those plans since fell through.

“Despite what is occurring in the national economy, New Haven has continued to grow due to the underlying strength of our core economic sectors,” DeStefano said in a prepared statement. “This, along with a strong residential rental market, makes it possible to move forward on this key development parcel in downtown.”