Darien Reaches Final Agreement To Purchase Great Island

DARIEN, CT — After months of meetings and reviews, Darien announced Tuesday it has come to a final amended agreement with the Steinkraus family on the purchase of Great Island for $85 million, notably less than the original $103 million agreement reached last year.

The closing date is set for May 5. After that date, Darien will begin to perform some physical work on the site to accommodate users, including widening roads, creating parking areas, and addressing some safety, accessibility and environmental issues, the town said.

The early stages of this work will necessitate restricted access until critical updates are completed.

"Great Island is a Great Investment for Darien. We will move forward, exploring opportunities to utilize the land in a careful and considerate manner, while keeping residents informed as we move through the process of opening the property to the public," McNally said in a news release.

Great Island is considered one of the largest remaining undeveloped pieces of land in the area, and town officials have called the purchase a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The 60-plus acre parcel of land was originally bought by the Ziegler family in 1880's. Most recently it has been controlled by the Steinkraus branch of the family.

"Our family has cherished Great Island for over 120 years. It is a magical place and we are saddened to see it go. However, we are also excited to pass the torch to the town. We are confident they will be top-notch stewards of the land and preserve it for all to enjoy," said Ned Steinkraus in a news release.

Last June, McNally outlined a very preliminary concept in which the island would be divided into four overlapping zones: commons, arts & culture, conservation and education and coastal shoreline. She said the purchase aligned with the town's Plan of Conservation and Development.

"Great Island is a pristine landscape with approximately one and a half miles of coastline in an environmentally sensitive cove on Long Island Sound," McNally said Tuesday. "With this purchase, we have prioritized the conservation of this magnificent property, saving it forever from intensive development. We have added significant open space for Darien, which is needed more and more as our town enters a new development phase."

The road to a final agreement was long and winding. While many supported the purchase, some Darien Representative Town Meeting members criticized the cost associated with running the island.

Last summer, the RTM approved the $103 million purchase of the land, pending certain due diligence procedures which were to be completed by Aug. 6, 2022. First Selectman Monica McNally had hoped to close on the property last September.

But the period was extended to March 6, 2023, after Darien discovered some issues with the property that needed to be resolved.

McNally expressed optimism last month that an agreement with the Steinkraus family could be reached.

McNally thanked all those involved for making the purchase come to fruition on Tuesday,

"The support and ongoing efforts of the Board of Selectman were critical to our success, as was the support of the Board of Finance and the RTM. We appreciate the thoughtful input and continued support of so many of our residents," McNally said.

"I also want to thank Town Hall departments and employees who worked tirelessly on this long and winding process. Wayne Fox, our Town Counsel, was instrumental in leading our team, and Jim Palen, chairman of the Board of Finance, provided expert guidance throughout. It takes a town to make a project like this a reality."