A Colorado developer will start construction next week on an 11-story apartment and retail complex across from the TD Garden, becoming the first homebuilder to resume work in the neighborhood following the recession.

Simpson Housing LLP said the complex, to be called The Victor, will include 286 apartments, high-end restaurants, and 138 parking spaces. It will fill an empty state-owned lot seen daily by commuters as they drive across the Zakim Bridge and descend into the southbound Interstate 93 tunnel.

A Simpson executive said the $140 million complex is expected to open in spring 2013.

“This project will enhance the Bulfinch Triangle neighborhood as a place to not only work and go to a restaurant before the game, but also as a place to live,’’ said Patrick McMahon, a vice president for Simpson.

Development in the neighborhood was largely stalled by the recession, postponing several bold proposals for hundreds of new residences and retail stores in an area that usually falls silent when the Bruins or Celtics are not playing.

Other developments planned for the area include: Trinity Financial’s proposed residential and retail complex just south of the Simpson site; a plan by Equity Residential for 500 apartments on the site of a parking garage along Lomasney Way near the TD Garden; and a proposal by HYM Investment Group to replace the Government Center Garage with a seven-building complex of offices, residences, and stores.

The Simpson project will fill a prominent parcel at the northern edge of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, where city and state officials have been trying to spur redevelopment since Big Dig construction was completed in 2007.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said the Simpson project is a significant step toward helping the neighborhood reach its potential. “This premier location on the Greenway will bring vitality to our downtown with the influx of new residents and retail space,’’ said in a statement. “I’m excited to see this project move forward.’’

Simpson expects to offer high-end apartments starting at $2,000-a-month for a studio. It will also include one- and two-bedroom apartments, with the units to range in size from 546 square feet to 1,258 square feet. Ten of the units will be designated affordable.

The building’s exterior will be a mix of masonry, aluminum, and glass, with the side facing the TD Garden and the Zakim Bridge to be entirely glass. Among its amenities will be two rooftop lounges, a 5,000-square-foot health club, and 17,000 square feet of restaurants and retail stores.

No tenants have been signed for the retail spaces, but McMahon said the firm is pursuing upscale restaurants and service-oriented retailers such as a cafe and dry cleaners.

Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.

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