Large Stamford Office Building Could Be Demolished For Townhomes: Docs

STAMFORD, CT — Plans to redevelop a large Fairfield Avenue office complex into 56 residential units in Stamford have been submitted to the city's Planning Board.

Toll Bros Inc., which is the contract purchaser for the 8.6-acre site at 700 Fairfield Ave., is looking to demolish a 146,000-square-foot office building for the construction of 13 two-story buildings with a total of 56 three-bedroom units.

The proposal also calls for a 2,000-square-foot amenity clubhouse, a pool, parking along with 20 visitor spaces, and "significant landscaped areas."

According to submitted documents, the office building was originally built in 1979. It was once the headquarters for the Playtex Corporation, a women's undergarment company that moved out of Stamford over 20 years ago, and later for Daymon Worldwide, a brand development company.

The office building is now used as a multi-tenant building with a majority of the space unoccupied.

"The reimagined site will be a tremendous benefit to both the surrounding residential and commercial neighborhoods by creating much needed homeownership opportunities, activating this portion of Fairfield Ave., and redeveloping an aging mostly-vacant office property to be more in line with the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood," said Ray Mazzeo, a senior planner from Redniss & Mead who is representing the applicant.

As part of the project, six of the 56 units would be set aside as "below market rate."

All of the homes are proposed to include three-bedrooms and finished basements, ranging in size from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet.

"The community is intended to appeal to a broad range of couples and families. Each unit will have the option to be constructed with a first-floor primary bedroom, which is particularly attractive to seniors and empty-nesters," Mazzeo added.

Additionally, each home will be served by a two-car garage with an additional two-car parking capacity within a dedicated driveway, the proposal states.

Twenty additional visitor spaces are spread throughout the site.

"All buildings are surrounded by large contiguous open spaces, providing open lawn and landscaped areas as well as private patios for each home," Mazzeo said. "This gives future homeowners the benefits of larger shared open spaces as well as smaller personal spaces for each family. The condo community will also include an amenity clubhouse, pool and indoor/outdoor play area(s). In total, the plan estimates over 3 acres of landscaped/open space."

The proposal is set to be discussed during a public hearing on Dec. 17, according to the town website.

More information can be found here.