Town Receiving 'Great Responses' To Havemeyer Building RFP: Camillo

GREENWICH, CT — With the submission deadline about a month away, First Selectman Fred Camillo gave a brief update Thursday on the Request For Proposal (RFP) for the Havemeyer Building at 290 Greenwich Ave.

The town issued an RFP in July for the redevelopment of the historic building that currently houses the Greenwich Board of Education. The deadline for developers is Nov. 15.

"We're still getting great responses for the RFP, and people are stepping forward in town with expertise on valuations [for the building] and offering to help us with that," Camillo said during the regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting, noting that he recently took another tour of the building.

"Not only does that save the town money, but it really gets us to a place where we know really how to respond. It would not be just taking somebody's word for it anymore; we'll absolutely know what the valuation is, what the market will bring and truly what it will cost to fix it up, and we're also getting lots of great ideas about that," Camillo added.

According to the RFP, "the town is looking for a developer who will provide a high-quality vision and commercial proposal for the redevelopment and long-term use of this property. The town encourages respondents to submit creative proposals that generate strong activities and meaningful community uses, that together will benefit the town of Greenwich and the residents of Greenwich."

Greenwich says in the RFP that "proposals should capture the historic significance of the building and its architecture, consider new additions or enhancements that are compatible with the existing building and immediate site, and conform to the existing surrounding area and neighborhoods."

Camillo has said in the past that "time is of the essence" to move the school staff out of the aging building, and he has argued that it doesn't make sense for the BOE to stay in a deteriorating building that's smack in the middle of Greenwich Avenue in the town's business, commercial and entertainment district.

The Havemeyer Building has a storied history on Greenwich Avenue.

Sugar magnate Henry O. Havemeyer and his wife Louisine funded the construction of a school at 290 Greenwich Ave., and work was completed in 1894, according to a report from The First Selectman’s Advisory Committee On the Havemeyer Building.

The building served as an elementary school, hosted high school classes, and has housed the Greenwich Board of Education and school district's central administrative offices since 1948.

The basement is 17,736 square feet, the first floor is 17,729 square feet, and the second floor is 13,598 square feet. The attic sits at 3,457 square feet.