Later this week, the Bruce Museum will commence construction of a streetscape and landscape improvement project along its Steamboat Road frontage. The work represents the final phase of the Museum’s modernization and expansion project, which was originally approved by the Town of Greenwich in 2017.
Approvals from the Planning & Zoning Commission were granted for several beautification projects on the west side of the Bruce Museum grounds, as depicted in this sketch. Courtesy of Eric Rains Landscape Architecture.
The Steamboat Road improvements are intended to strengthen the visual and pedestrian connection between Greenwich Avenue, lower downtown, the Museum and Greenwich’s waterfront. The project will extend elements of the Greenwich Avenue streetscape along the Museum’s property while enhancing the surrounding landscape and preserving the character of the historic hillside.
Construction is expected to continue through mid-September 2026. During this approximate 2-month period, the metered parking spaces on the east side of Steamboat Road adjacent to the Museum will be temporarily closed. The spaces will reopen following completion of the work, and a new parking meter kiosk will be installed. The exterior stairway located south of the railroad bridge and leading to the Museum grounds will also be closed during construction. Directional signage and a temporary crosswalk near the train station will be provided to assist pedestrians.
Key elements of the project include: widening much of the existing sidewalk from approximately five feet to ten feet, replacing the existing asphalt sidewalk with concrete and granite curbing, installing four new street trees and decorative lighting similar to the fixtures found along Greenwich Avenue, carefully reconstructing the existing stone retaining wall using its original stone, installing new landscaping developed in consultation with and approved by Greenwich Tree Warden, Dr. Gregory Kramer, and creating spaces within the meadow for future outdoor sculpture installations.
The revised design was developed as a less disruptive alternative to the landscape plan approved in 2017 and avoids extensive grading through the center of the hillside, reduces the number and size of trees that must be removed, preserves several mature trees and creates approximately 1,278 square feet of additional green space. The project also includes 21 new trees on the hillside, four new willow oak street trees and 58 new shrubs. The improvements will slightly reduce impervious coverage on the property, providing an additional environmental benefit.
The Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission approved the modified Steamboat Road plan on July 22, 2025, following the unanimous endorsement of the project by the Greenwich Historic District Commission during its advisory review on June 11, 2025. Completion of the work will complete the site work associated with the Museum’s modernization project approved by the Town in 2017.
A.P. Construction Company, a division of Ashforth Properties Construction, Inc., is serving as the project’s general contractor. A.P. Construction also recently completed the major renovation of the Greenwich train station. The project team includes Michele Cronin, AICP, President of 41° North Land Use Advisors, LLC (Greenwich, CT), Eric Rains Landscape Architecture, LLC (SoNo, CT), and Redniss & Mead, Inc. (Stamford, CT), who were instrumental in directing this project.