STAMFORD -- Big changes are coming to a historic section of Stamford's downtown, with an old office building on the corner of Main Street and Atlantic Avenue due for conversion into housing.
JBM Realty and developer Jeffrey Mendell have put forward plans with the city's land use bureau to convert the office building at 400 Main St. built in 1926 into 41 apartment units. The plan calls for 23 studio units and 18 one-bedroom units.
An attorney representing the project, Jay Klein, told members of the city's Zoning Board of Appeals at a recent hearing that the plan followed in the overall trend to convert excess office space into much-needed housing.
"Stamford and similar communities are experiencing a serious decline in demand for office space, particularly office space in these older buildings," Klein said. "But many historic buildings, fortunately, have found a second life for housing."
Klein said the project would "preserve a piece of history and provide much needed housing for Stamford."
Ten percent of the units in the eight-story building would be rented at below-market rates.
Mendell told the Zoning Board of Appeals that the tenants in the office building would all be moving out by March 2025. The building's interior would then be gutted, and Mendell said he hoped that the apartments could be put on the market in early 2026. The developer said the State Historic Preservation Office would be consulting on the work. The architect on the project would be Rich Granoff, who has worked on a number of other historic renovation projects in the region.
The only approval from the city required for the conversion is for a variance, or exemption, from the zoning code. The city's zoning code requires that new apartment buildings must set aside some form of open space, like a courtyard, for common use by tenants. Klein said that was an impossibility with the old building.
"There's simply no room on our property for any sort of open space, like a courtyard or a playground or things of that nature," he said, adding that putting a recreation area on the roof was not feasible. The building would have a fitness center on the second floor, and Klein noted that three city parks were within a short walking distance.
"There's plenty of room and opportunities nearby to go out and play and get some sun," he said.
The ZBA granted the variance unanimously.
"I think it's a good thing for the city," commented a member of the board, Ernest Matarasso.
"It's very reasonable," added another member, Lauren Jacobson.
The structure, known as the Valeur Building, was built in 1926 and designed by architect Edward B. Stratton, who designed a number of prominent buildings in the Boston area. The design of the building is described in historical documents as the "Commercial Style" with Neo-Classical Revival elements.