During a tour of his new development, New London Harbour Towers in New London, Anthony Silvestri glosses over some of the more lovely design elements in the condominium project but makes a beeline for a utility panel in an upstairs hallway.www.nlhtonline.com

Flipping open the steel door he proudly displays the electrical components inside. This, says Silvestri, the project's manager, is what is responsible for providing the electricity for the entire floor. Not too long ago, he says, the power hub for a full floor of condominiums would need to be housed in a small room instead of this roughly three-foot square box.

Harbour Towers, he explains, is not just a new kind of urban housing development. It's an environmentally conscience one as well.

"Why build anything these days that's not green?" says Tammy Sell, a sales and marketing official for Harbour Towers who was along on the tour.

Still, the aesthetics of the project are also something to crow about.

The new nine-story, 52-unit complex at Columbus Circle is set to have a grand opening April 25 and Silvestri says some of the units in the first phase of the project will be move-in ready by May and June. The condominiums will range in size from about 1,000 to 2,200 square feet.

In the model unit that is nearly complete, wideboard dark oak floors grace the kitchen and pair nicely with the warm-toned brown and beige granite countertops. Buyers can choose their own granite colors, as well as the kind of wood cabinetry in the kitchen.

Wall-to-wall carpeting is used in the bedrooms and the condos' bathrooms are finished with ceramic tile.

Besides those amenities, Silvestri says, air pockets were built between the walls of each unit to block sound between them and foam installed around wiring and pipes will prevent odors from seeping into adjoining units.

"You won't be able to hear your neighbor or smell what they're cooking," Silvestri says.

Every condo will have its own balcony, giving residents either a view of the harbor or views of downtown. Community spaces include a pool with a retractable roof, an outdoor kitchen area, a community room with bar and an exercise room.