GREENWICH, CT — The historic town-owned Havemeyer Building located smack dab in the middle of Greenwich Avenue could be transformed into a 71-room boutique hotel with a restaurant and event space, according to a recommendation from a committee tasked with reviewing bid proposals for the property.
A Request For Proposals, or RFP, was issued in July 2024 "seeking proposals from qualified firms or teams of firms for the redevelopment" of the Havemeyer Building at 290 Greenwich Ave., which currently houses the Greenwich Board of Education.
The building has deteriorated over the years, and First Selectman Fred Camillo has said that "time is of the essence" to move the school staff to a new location. He has also argued that it doesn't make sense for the school board to stay in a deteriorating structure in the middle of Greenwich Avenue in the business, commercial and entertainment district.
Six respondents submitted proposals by the RFP deadline of Dec. 20, 2024, and a proposal from Eagle Peebles Legacy Havemeyer LLC was the most favorable, the RFP Committee said in a report dated May 20.
Eagle Peebles Legacy Havemeyer LLC is a joint venture between The Peebles Corporation, a privately held national real estate investment and development company, and its affiliate Legacy Real Estate Development, and Eagle Ventures.
The Havemeyer Building would be fully restored and repurposed, at the developer's expense, "as a hotel, restaurant and community cultural destination, that celebrates Greenwich as a community of creative thinkers, leaders, and lifelong learners," the RFP Committee said in its report.
Camillo spoke about the recommendation briefly during his May 23 "Ask The First Selectman" spot with Tony Savino of WGCH.
"We think it's a game-changer and very transformational for the town and for the Avenue," Camillo said. "It takes really a building that's shut down at the end of the work day and falling into disrepair in the heart of our commerce district and brings it to life. It's a public/private partnership, it saves the tens and tens of millions of dollars the town would have to spend to fix it up."
The Havemeyer Building has a long history.
Sugar magnate Henry O. Havemeyer and his wife Louisine funded the construction of a school at the Havemeyer site, and work was completed in 1894, according to a report from the advisory committee on the Havemeyer Building.
The building served as an elementary school, hosted high school classes, and has housed the Greenwich Board of Education and school district's central administrative offices since 1948.
The basement is 17,736 square feet, the first floor is 17,729 square feet, and the second floor is 13,598 square feet. The attic sits at 3,457 square feet.
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Under the Eagle/Peebles proposal, the building's auditorium would be fully restored and serve as a 100-seat venue for the public to rent or for private and community purposes. When not in use, the area would be used as a dining venue for the hotel's restaurant.
A skylit multi-purpose event and gallery space would also offer "a wide range of intimate events."
A rooftop cafe and bar would be part of the project and offer views over the ballfields and vistas out to Long Island Sound. The hotel rooms and public spaces would have a curated art collection celebrating Greenwich's cultural arts and artists, according to the proposal.
The RFP Committee noted the project would fill a hospitality void on Greenwich Avenue left when the Pickwick Arms hotel was demolished in 1973.
The RFP Committee said it felt the Eagle/Peebles proposal was more attractive because it offers support to Board of Education staff.
Eagle/Peebles provided the town an option to construct a new building at the southern end of the Havemeyer property where the school board staff could ultimately relocate. The building would have four levels, with the top two levels offering 20,750 square feet of office space and the bottom two levels reserved for 97 parking spaces.
"Informal review over the past 18 months of available office space in Greenwich, however, has not identified suitable long-term space for the BOE staff for a variety of reasons (e.g., distance, cost, lack of parking)," the RFP Committee said. "Therefore, the Eagle/Peebles proposal to construct a discrete new BOE building on the Havemeyer lot requires serious consideration."
A public/private partnership, Eagle/Peebles would wholly-fund the building's redevelopment cost, which it estimates would be $70.5 million, the RFP Committee said.
"This amount includes a proposed upfront payment of $10.5 million to the Town for a 99-year ground lease for the entire Havemeyer lot (2.7 acres, inclusive of the Havemeyer Building)," The RFP Committee noted. "Additionally, Eagle/Peebles believes that the renovated Havemeyer Building would contribute recurring property tax revenue up to $650,000 annually. A financial assessment by the Town as to the reasonableness of these payments is essential and would be a key component of any work going forward.
Other proposals that were submitted included ideas for an entertainment center from A-List Design LLC; a mixed-use park from Fareri Associates (runner up); a Class A office building from HB Nitkin Group; an assisted senior living facility from LCB Senior Living; and a mixed-use park from RT Havemeyer Partners.
The RFP Committee explained that implementation of the recommendation "would be subject to extensive public hearings, land use and other approvals, as well as affirmative votes by the RTM and the BET."
A public forum has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, in the Greenwich Town Hall Meeting Room in which the RFP Committee will give a short presentation and field questions from the audience.
The forum will begin at 7 p.m.
Those with questions or comments are encouraged to complete and submit this form prior to the meeting.
The public hearing will also be broadcast via Zoom.