Former Stamford Trust Building To Be Converted Into Hilton Hotel

STAMFORD, CT — An old building in the heart of downtown that once housed the Stamford/Union Trust Company bank will be transformed into a 149-room Hilton branded hotel.

The Stamford Zoning Board on Monday night unanimously approved a special permit for the project, which was put forward by TR West Main Street LLC, the owner of the building at 300 Main St.

The building was originally built in 1928, and it's part of the Downtown Stamford National Register Historic District. An addition was constructed in 1984.

Overall, the combined structures feature 100,000 square feet of office space over eight floors, along with ground floor retail space. Several banks have operated as primary tenants over the years, with a mix of office tenants. However, the building has been mostly vacant since 2015.

TR West Main Street LLC and developer F.D. Rich Company plan to keep the existing building and convert the office space into guest rooms. Minor facade changes are proposed, such as replacing windows and adding canopies on the ground floor entrances of the historic building.

A two-story addition on top of the 1980s portion of the building is proposed, and it will feature additional guest rooms and an outdoor rooftop amenity space.

An old retail bank hall could be converted into a restaurant that will be open to hotel guests and the public. The ground floor retail space would remain active.

The project was "well-received" by the city's Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, noted Andrew Ostrander, principal at the architecture firm Perkins Eastman.

"The focus of our design is to really preserve the historic aspects of the Union Trust Bank," Ostrander said Monday night.

The hotel will utilize an existing 147-space self-parking garage, with some spaces leftover for the general public, according to developer Tom Rich.

Rich told the Zoning Board last week that he has a signed agreement with Hilton to brand the hotel as a Hilton Curio.

The Hilton website notes that the "Curio Collection by Hilton is a global set of individually remarkable hotels hand‑picked to immerse guests in one‑of‑a‑kind moments."

According to a presentation to the Zoning Board last week, William Hennessey, attorney for the applicant, outlined several benefits of the hotel use.

Annual property taxes paid to the city will increase, from a current amount of $182,684 to a projected total of $381,813.

Additionally, the CT room sales occupancy tax would generate $1.4 million annually.

Hennessey said the hotel would create 40 permanent jobs, along with construction jobs. There would also be "economic spillover" to nearby businesses.

"I think this is a net win," Hennessey said. "What we're seeking to do is fill an empty building with a small hotel that would seem to be of great use and benefit to the downtown. We'd be restoring an important building."

Zoning Board members agreed, and they offered positive feedback for the project over their Feb. 3 meeting and on Monday night.

"I think this looks like a great project. I'm glad to see this really old gorgeous building being saved and put to a new use instead of empty offices," Board Chair David Stein said last week.

On Monday, Zoning Board member William Morris pushed back on some criticism during the public comment portion of the meeting that the application was "rushed."

"This was a well-prepared, well-thought out and well-planned application," he said, with member Rosanne McManus adding there was "very little change that had to be addressed by zoning."

During the public comment portion on Monday night, Special Services District President Michael Moore advocated for the project.

"I was walking in front of the 300 block this afternoon, and wow, this would be an incredible addition to this block face and activating it," he said. "It's nearly dormant right now and would be a huge positive to the Main Street corridor, the Columbus Park corridor and we look forward to the project."

The Zoning Board approved the application with several conditions, mostly related to bicycle parking, along with standard conditions.

The approval came a week after another hotel was approved for West Park Place in between Curley's Diner and a two-story mixed-use building.