A new application from Berkley Insurance Co recently arrived at Greenwich Planning & Zoning.
The Berkley Insurance building at 475 Steamboat Road was constructed in 1969 at the corner of Museum Drive and Steamboat Road. The existing building is 95,550 square feet and four stories with surface and below grade parking.
According to the application narrative, in 2023, the Commission approved a site plan and special permit for the construction of a guard booth and a major renovation to the existing building, including replacement of all mechanical equipment. It also included the renovation of the penthouse area for a boardroom and roof deck, which had previously been approved by the Commission.
“After receiving cost estimates for the renovation of the building, it was determined that it was more cost-effective to demolish the existing building and reconstruct it in the same location,” the applicant says in their narrative.
The proposed plan would maintain the same square footage, stories, and height of the existing building. This newly designed building will address neighborhood concerns regarding noise and lighting.
This pre-application submission was filed as part of proceeding with the building reconstruction.
In November the Greenwich Planning & Zoning (P&Z) commission voted to deny the company’s application to construct a new three-story office building on Steamboat Road that would have replaced several buildings. The building was proposed to total 38,300 sq ft across five lots to be merged in the GB and COZ zones – nearly four times the size of what is otherwise allowed in the GB zone in Greenwich, which is a maximum of 10,000 square feet per lot.
The proposal was rejected due to its excessive scale (nearly four times the allowed size in that zone), negative impact on the surrounding residential neighborhood, and failure to comply with 1976 zoning regulations designed to limit large-scale development.
The main Berkley building at 475 Steamboat Road. Previously approved renovations at 475 Steamboat have yet to start. They include a new lobby, security station and penthouse conference room on top of the existing four story building, as well as upgrades to elevators and relocating a generator. March 12, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
See also:
P&Z Denies Berkley Insurance Co Proposed Large Office Building on Steamboat Road
Nov 28, 2025
Questions about Carrying over Non-Conformities Persist for Berkley Insurance Co’s Proposed Office Building Nov 3, 2024
P&Z Watch: Could Proposed Berkley Office Building Fit in Better on Steamboat Rd Streetscape? June 17, 2024
Berkley Insurance Co Seeks to Demo Several Buildings in Area of Steamboat Rd, Construct New Office Building May 13, 2024