The two buildings that have been home to Chabad Lubavitch were posted for sale this week, including the main building at 75 Mason Street, built in 1905. The list price is $3.6 million.
The adjacent building that houses two preschool classrooms at 6 Lincoln Ave, built in 1950, is listed for $2,500,000.
At the end of January, an email from the Chabad Lubavitch to members said a purchase sale agreement had been signed to acquire the former Carmel Academy campus at 270 Lake Avenue.
“This is an absolutely historic moment, one which will transform Jewish life in Greenwich for generations to come,” wrote Rabbi Yossi and Maryashie Deren and Rabbi Menachem and Chani Feldman in the Jan 20, 2021 email. “On a beautiful spring day in the year 2000 we inked a deal with the Japanese School for the use of their grounds for Camp Gan Israel … and ever since that day, we’ve played here, we’ve prayed here, we’ve celebrated here, and we’ve gathered here. Now G-d willing we will build a permanent community home here.”
This week, in addition to the for sale signs erected, the playground was removed from the fenced in side yard of 75 Mason Street.
The Jan 21 email said fundraising would be done in two phases, with Phase 1, “Securing the Asset,” featuring fundraising toward the purchasing price, and Phase 2, “Building our Community Home” featuring a gala event at the Lake Ave campus to raise money toward renovations.
The Jan 21 email noted the closing price for the campus was $20,000,000, and that $11,401,000 had already been pledged, and that the equity of the Mason Street center would go toward the acquisition.
Meanwhile, Chabad of Greenwich announced its synagogue’s doors would be open to the public for free seating at the annual High Holiday Services at 270 Lake Avenue, with expanded programing for adults and children.
Carmel Academy was a Jewish private school serving grades Kindergarten through 8. In 2020, the school announced their plans to close at the end of the school year.
Chabad Lubavitch opened a new kindergarten at the 270 Lake Ave campus, with plans to expand to more grades and become Tamim Academy.
In 2017 Greenwich’s P&Z commission approved Chabad’s plans to move their pre school program for children 3 and under from the YMCA Greenwich, where they’d been since 2003, to 6 Lincoln Ave in the CGB zone.
The applicant presented a staggered drop-off and pick-up for their 5-space parking lot behind 6 Lincoln Ave that satisfied the commission at the time.
In Feb 2019, Chabad Lubavitch received approval to redevelop the historic Armory building further down Mason Street, but the approval was not for the full FAR requested.
A request for comment to Maryashie Deren was not returned on Friday.
P&Z Approves Chabad Synagogue at Historic Armory but with Significantly Less FAR, and Conditions
Feb 24, 2019