By James Lomuscio

When Bob LeRose hears about the Westport Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission’s plans to reinvigorate the downtown, making it a vibrant nightspot that can hold its own with Fairfield and South Norwalk, he usually rolls his eyes.
Bob LeRose shows off the rooftop beer garden at his Bobby Q’s restaurant on Westport’s Main Street. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“We as individual businesses have the first responsibility to make our businesses interesting enough for people to come downtown,” he says. “Now if the P&Z wants to clear the way for a movie theater and other interesting things, great, we’ll take it.”

A P&Z downtown subcommittee has been meeting over the past month to explore ways the commission can be more business friendly in terms of regulations, as well as recommending things that are outside the P&Z’s purview such as street scape and signage.

Still, LeRose, owner of Bobby Q’s on Main Street for the past seven years, says the onus is on the business person. And he feels he’s taken an important first step—the opening a few weeks ago of Bobby Q’s al fresco, rooftop beer garden.

By James Lomuscio

Talk about going green. Plans are afoot to transform a shuttered Westport car dealership into an upscale outdoor center replete with a greenhouse, an array of outdoor furniture, furnishings, plant showrooms, cafe, and myriad products for the organic gardener.
The first Terrain store has been open near Philadelphia since 2008. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Shopterrain.com photo

Urban Outfitters is eyeing the shuttered Curran Cadillac property at 561 Post Road East for its second Terrain store nationally. And Thursday night, attorneys for the company are scheduled to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) for a pre-application.

The plan submitted by Jennifer M. Porter of the New York law firm Gibbons P.C., calls for stripping the auto showroom down to its beams and razing a two-story, dilapidated house on the corner of Post Road East and Crescent Road to garner more parking.

According to the proposal, the new buildings will total 17,108 square feet, less than the current 21,566. Curran Cadillac closed in February 2009 after 40 years in the location. (See WestportNow Feb. 27, 2009)

UPDATE The space at 374 Post Road East, Westport, in the Compo Acres Shopping Center most recently occupied by children’s clothing store Lollipop Guild—which has moved several doors down to combine with Winged Monkey at 384 Post Road East—will house Leftover Luxuries, a consignment shop—at least for the period of June 17-26, according to its website. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Compo Acres shopping center will soon see some changes. Trader Joe’s is expanding into space now occupied by Silver of Westport Luggage and Gifts, which, after 19 years, is moving several doors away to space it previously occupied for 31 years. Stephen Silver said the move – planned to be done by Oct. 31 – came about when the landlord said Trade Joe’s was interested in expanding. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By James Lomuscio

UPDATE and CORRECT (corrects Main Street sale, adds Hampe background) A just completed Westport commercial office building sale is sure to send shudders down the spines of nervous Westport’s property owners.
The office building at 450 Post Road East changed hands last week. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The building at 450 Post Road East purchased in 2007 for just under $12 million—and assessed at $10.9 million by the town in 2010—has sold for $5.4 million, according to the Town Clerk’s office.

Abbey Road Advisors LLC located at 33 Riverside Ave. sold the building, which had been vacant, to Baywater Properties LLC in Darien. It was a private sale that did not involve commercial real estate brokers.

The conveyance tax to the state was $54,154 and to the town, $13,538.50, according to the deed received Friday and stamped by Patricia Strauss, town clerk.