With New Building, Downtown Will Be “Extended”

By Dave Matlow

A two-story building will be erected at Westport’s 100 Post Road East. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed rendering

A 4,200-square-foot commercial building is poised to go up at Westport’s 100 Post Road East following last week’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) site plan approval.

The downtown’s first major commercial construction in decades, the building is to be situated adjacent to Old Town Hall and at the site of the vacated, drive-up TD Bank kiosk.

“We’ve had much interest in the property from prospective tenants, but I want the right tenant,” said Rob Haroun, principal of Old Town Hall LLC.

“I do not want to lease it for food use,” he added, noting that he is in discussion with two clothing companies he did not disclose. “With Urban Outfitters across the street, and 90 Post Road East (Old Town Hall) leased to Spruce Home and Garden, and the Town Hall Restaurant opening in its lower level, Westport’s downtown has been extended.”

Haroun said he expects the attraction to this Post Road area will stretch to the old Post Office building, “even all the way to Michele’s Pies” at the former Baskin-Robbins site.

He noted that beginning next week the 100 Post Road East site will be cordoned off, “and we’ll see a lot of construction activity there in the next few weeks.”

Along with the P&Z site plan approval, he said he was particularly pleased with Zoning Board of Appeals’ (ZBA) approvals of six of his seven requests for variances. One variance was for the construction of a terrace in front of the new building.

Referring to the Old Town Hall building, Haroun said next week he expects to finalize an agreement to lease 2,450 square feet of second floor office space above Spruce.

“We’ll have a fully leased building at that time,” he said.