Submitted by Adele Rota
It is exciting to know that there are ideas and RFP’s being considered to bring new life to the long neglected town jewel that sits on Greenwich Avenue – the Havemeyer Building.
First Selectman Fred Camillo’s hand picked RFP Evaluation Committee (which excluded representation from the BOE until after the RFP was issued) indicated in their report that they followed criteria in the RFP to evaluate the proposals including:
“Creative proposals that generate strong economic activities and meaningful community uses that benefit the Town of Greenwich and the residents of Greenwich.”
Based on all the information published and available on the town website, I’ve not been able to identify anything that comes close to meaningful uses that benefit the residents of the town of Greenwich. The boutique hotel and restaurant are not for residents. It talks about the auditorium which could be rented by organizations and members of the public for private or community events and when not in use serve as a dining venue for the hotel restaurant.
That sounds nice on paper but one has to wonder how often the auditorium, which would be co-located as the hotel’s restaurant, would be available throughout the year for performances that would benefit the community. Who will set the pricing and will there be a specific guaranteed number of weeks per year of availability baked into the agreement?
When encouraging the BOE to vacate the Havemeyer Building Mr. Camillo said it didn’t make sense to house a government entity on Greenwich Avenue which he described as the heart of the town’s business, commercial and entertainment district. Yet the proposal being put forth is suggesting construction of a new BOE building on this site, the cost of which ultimately will be borne by the Greenwich taxpayer.
Coincidentally, that building would sit atop a two-story parking garage that the hotel can use at night and on weekends.
The addition of a two-story parking structure is a huge red flag that indicates that the hotel/restaurant will not have sufficient parking, particularly when it hosts weddings and other events which will likely spill over and take precious parking spaces from other entities on Greenwich Avenue.
Also the RFP erroneously puts forth that this boutique hotel will fill a hospitality void left by the Pickwick Arms being demolished over 50 years ago. What about the Delamar, the historic Stanton House Inn, the J House and the Hyatt?
Fortunately, the RFP Evaluation Committee stated in their report they “most strongly believe that meaningful long-term use of the Havemeyer Building and the site must reflect community input.”
To that end, please make your voice and opinions known by attending the public hearing at Town Hall on June 11 at 7:00pm.
As our First Selectman said when discussing the Havemeyer Building, “This is something that should be returned to the people of Greenwich.”
Let’s be sure to make that happen.
Respectfully,
Adele Rota