The ranks of new restaurants in Westport’s center are about to get bigger. Developer Robert Haroun said The Town Hall Restaurant will open in the basement space of his Old Town Hall at 90 Post Road East. The space years ago housed Westport police headquarters.  He said the eatery, owned by Westporter Chad Whited, is scheduled to open in three or four months and will serve hamburgers, sandwiches, and casual food with a bar. Meanwhile, Haroun has applied for permits to erect a two-story building at 100 Post Road East, site of the former drive-up banking building, that will have 4,600-square feet on the first floor with basement storage of similar dimension. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The latest addition to the changing street scape of Westport’s Saugatuck section involves the relocation of Fermat Capital Management, currently at 2 Railroad Place, to the site of the former Saugatuck Post Office, 611 Riverside Ave., which closed in September 2009 (see WestportNow Sept. 5, 2009). According to Jeff Bates, Fermat’s chief operating officer, the company will relocate its approximate 12 staff members to the new site around mid-year. Bates said, “We’re growing and need more space.” Fermat Capital Management, LLC, co-founded by John and Nelson Seo, is a specialty investment management firm founded in Westport in 2001. With more than $2 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2011, Fermat Capital manages institutional portfolios of Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) with a particular emphasis on catastrophe bonds. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Asia Imperial Furniture Co.,1433 Post Road East, next to Izzo Country Gardens and Landscaping, will close its business at the end of March, according to co-owners Wendy and Jerry Wong who have occupied that location since August 2004. Wendy Wong said she and her husband decided to close the shop because “the economy has slowed down, our interior designer trade has slowed down, the whole market has slowed down—and the cost of business never goes down.”  She added that their Internet business (http://www.asiaimperial.com) will continue and “we are expanding our offerings.”  She said they will also continue to have private showings by appointment at their Bridgeport warehouse (http://www.mybttc.com). Jerry Wong said that everything in the store is now priced at 50 percent off with the exception of five sculptures that are on display. Wendy Wong said their lease has expired and they made no attempt to extend it “although we have a wonderful relationship with the Izzos who are our landlords—we are like family with them.” She said that she is also a professional in web design, continues to apply her skills and build that business, and can be reached at wendy@asiaimperial,com. “I even created the site for our new neighbor, the Rustica Restaurant” whose site goes live soon, she said. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Urban Outfitters, the trendy clothing chain with the 18- to 30-year-old as its target customer, will open at 101-107 Post Road East—with a second entrance on Church Lane across from the Family Y (above)—around March 9, according to a worker on site. He said the shop is in the process of furniture deliveries and inventory stocking. The new outlet of the Philadelphia-based company which also owns Anthropolgie and four other brands, is part of the 11,600-square foot space at 101 and 107 Post Road East that was previously occupied by TDBanknorth. Urban Outfitters also has Connecticut stores in Greenwich, Farmington (Westfarms Mall) and New Haven (Yale campus.) (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com