Developer Wants To Preserve Historic Stamford Church, Add New Apartment Building

STAMFORD, CT — The vacant First Congregational Church building at 1 Walton Place just north of Latham Park in Stamford could be preserved and a new apartment building could be constructed in its shadow, according to plans presented to the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission (HPAC) last week.

Real estate developer Copperline Partners has plans to rehabilitate, preserve and repurpose the old church building that was built in 1913.

An addition to the building, built in 1962, would be removed, and a new multifamily residential building "with a rich amenity package, quality building materials, ample green space, covered parking and a total of 224 new downtown apartments" would be built, according to a description of the project. The building would have a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and a few three-bedroom apartments.

The apartment building would serve as a backdrop to the stone church.

Ray Mazzeo, a senior planner from Redniss & Mead, went before the commission last week and presented the project. He noted that the church has been vacant since the congregation relocated to a previously existing church on Stillwater Avenue a few years ago.

The commission served in an advisory role last week, and made recommendations for the project, which still needs to go before the Planning Board and Zoning Board.

The Planning Board was scheduled to discuss the item during its Tuesday meeting.

Mazzeo said the basement level of the church building would be repurposed for tenant amenity space. Since the developer also owns two nearby buildings, the amenities would also serve those buildings as well, Mazzeo explained.

Dr. Daryn Reyman-Lock, who was brought on as an historical consultant to the project, spoke to the commission about what the church building means to the city. It was designed by master ecclesiastic architect, George F. Newton, whose work has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The church is really very, very deeply rooted in Stamford's history, not only because of its association with the First Congregational Church itself, which is the founding church of the city of Stamford, but just in a physical sense it's very tied to Stamford's history," Reyman-Lock said.

The parcel the church sits on used to be a ledge of outcropping bedrock, Reyman-Lock added. When the ledge was blasted to make a level lot to build the church, rocks were removed from the site and recut to make the facade of the church building.

HPAC members commended the developer for wanting to preserve the historic church building.

As part of a list of recommendations the commission compiled to be considered as the project moves forward, members suggested the creation of a plaque or "interpretive panel" to be placed near the church to let people know about its historic significance.

Members also wanted more clarification on what kinds of amenities will be available.

Watch the entire HPAC meeting here. The discussion about this project begins at the 17-minute mark.