Town Of Greenwich Seeks Sailing School And Boat Rental Operator

GREENWICH, CT — The Town of Greenwich Parks and Recreation Department is seeking a sailing school and boat rental operator that will be based in Greenwich Point Park.

When a private business will utilize a town-owned facility, Greenwich uses the competitive bid process and sends out a Request For Proposal (RFP).

All interested parties are encouraged to review the RFP, which can be found on the Town website. Proposals are due by 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

The announcement of the beginning of the RFP process comes on the heels of Greenwich Community Sailing announcing that it has closed down operations at Greenwich Point.

GCS, which is under the umbrella of Longshore Sailing School in Westport, operated for 24 years at Greenwich Point, but decided to close ahead of the 2022 season because of a leasing dispute with the town. GCS's 2021 contract ended on Sept. 30.

The town is looking to secure a new five-year agreement to continue to offer sailing opportunities for residents.

"The events of the past two weeks have been unfortunate; however, the Department has every intention of maintaining a community sailing program at Greenwich Point. It is an important service in our community," said Joe Siciliano, Director of Parks and Recreation, in a news release.

The sailing school will be located at the town-owned Chimes Building at Greenwich Point.

"The Department seeks a vendor and would like the school to provide instructional opportunities from beginner to advanced levels and should have programs targeted at both youth and adult. In addition, the vendor may provide rental boat opportunities at Greenwich Point," the town said in a news release.

The Chimes Building is slated to undergo renovations beginning in fall of 2022. In the RFP document, the town said "there will likely be a period of time in which the Chimes Building and surrounding area will be closed for construction. The Town has limited control over the timing of this project. The Town will give reasonable notice to the Licensee regarding commencement of the construction."

Further, the town said it may choose to offer the licensee an alternate location at Greenwich Point to operate out of while construction is underway.

For more information, check out the RFP here.