New London - The city looks a lot different from above. Church steeples poke out of the cityscape and the eaves of peaked roofs disappear into a green canopy.

Views from the ninth floor penthouse units of New London Harbour Towers stretch across Fisher's Island Sound and out to Waterford.

"Everyone notices the trees,'' said Anthony Silvestri, project manager for the nine-story condominium complex under construction on Bank Street.

During a tour of the project, which includes 52 condominiums that will be selling for $300,000 to $600,000 each, Silvestri pointed out air pockets between walls that will absorb sound and red foam around wiring and pipes that will prevent odors from seeping into adjoining units.

"We've attended to every detail,'' Silvestri said.

The first three floors of the city's second-tallest building (the Mohican apartments are the tallest) will provide 85 parking spaces and storage units for each resident. Every condo will have a balcony and the five penthouse units will have larger outdoor areas. Community spaces include a pool with retractable roof, an outdoor kitchen area, a community room with bar and an exercise room.

In April 2007, Silvestri, owner of Silvestri Development Group, broke ground on his proposed City Gateway Commons, which included renovating the Dart Building at 461 Bank St. and constructing a new seven-story complex on adjoining property for 39 units of luxury condominiums. But the project came to a halt in 2008 when Silvestri ran into financing problems.

The Tagliatela family, which owns Franklin Construction Co. of New Haven, took over the project, added another floor and more units, hired Silvestri to oversee the project. The name was changed to New London Harbour Towers.

Construction workers have been putting up the steel-frame building in 12-hour split shifts, five days a week. Silvestri said he expects people to be living in the building by next March. The units range from 950 to 2,200 square feet.

Earlier this year, the City Council approved a residential tax abatement program, which will allow new condo owners to pay only 30 percent of their tax bill for five years.

The city also granted developers permission to improve the Columbus Circle Park and close down a portion of Reed Street. That work is also under way. The new parklet is expected to be rededicated in October during the Columbus Day weekend.

When Harbour Towers is complete, the main building is expected to be named for Frank Londregan, a city attorney and former city councilor and mayor. Londregan, who died a year ago, was Silvestri's longtime lawyer.

k.edgecomb@theday.com