By Joseph Morales

  The Town of Greenwich is a large town in the State of Connecticut with a population of around 63,500 according to the page on the U.S Census Bureau’s QuickFacts regarding Greenwich. Downtown Greenwich is located directly off the NY-CT border and is about a 50 min- 1 hour train ride to Grand Central Terminal. In addition to the railroad, Interstate 95, the Merritt Parkway and multiple CT Transit bus routes are located near Downtown as well. It is known for being a vibrant, walkable downtown with a variety of shops and restaurants including an Apple Store on Greenwich Avenue. 

                      Now, the town of Greenwich wants to utilize its assets in order to modernize the Greenwich Metro-North Railroad(MNR) station in Downtown Greenwich and its surrounding areas well as to create an inviting and accessible retail and restaurant complex. They will do this through utilizing their existing public-private partnership with the GP Holding Inc. who owns Greenwich Plaza. 

                   This will include a total renovation of the station house that replaces the exterior and of the station which would include a new glass facade along with a large clock in the center of the building and a canopy that extends over the sidewalk. The station would also have more natural light, which is a feature found in many of New York’s most recently build or newly renovated subway and rail stations such as those found at the 34th St-Hudson Yards(7) station or at the nearby and recently renovated White Plains MNR station in White Plains, New York. New sidewalks would also be constructed to provide better access to the train station. The project would also include sidewalk replacements and added street trees.

                   As for the interior, the station would also include a large electronic sign known as a “zipper” that would post train times as well as announcements. Stairs would also be replaced as the existing stairs are known to be attractive and difficult to use. As many riders are now purchasing their MNR tickets via the MTA’s TrainTime app, the removal of an existing ticket booth would allow for an expansion of the waiting area and lobby space. 

                    The structure would be getting an overhaul as well, with the cladding of the structures being in limestone and granite combined with cedar and a metal alloy that appears to look like bronze in order for the building to blend into other important buildings across Central Greenwich. 

                   Given the fact that the train station is the first thing people see upon entering Greenwich, a modern facility will play a huge role in people getting a good first impression and feeling enthusiastic to see what Greenwich has to offer. Residents who frequently rely on the station to get further north into Connecticut as well south into Westchester County and NYC will have a more pleasant and comfortable experience at the station daily. An architect named Frank Prial Jr from Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners LLP who has worked on major renovation projects including on at Grand Central Terminal and presented this proposal to the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission in November 2022 and called it a “an entirely different sense of space.”

                     The proposed mixed-use facility that will complement the newly improved train station would be a 4,975 sq ft restaurant space and the intersection of Steamboat Rd and Railroad Ave along with a 2,170 sq ft retail space. There would be one anchor restaurant with another fast-casual one on the premises. The restaurant space would also include green space, a pedestrian plaza and outdoor seating. The facility would be in the place of an abandoned Bowtie Cinema, that has been closed since November 2020 due to a combination of pre-existing financial issues as well as a loss of business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the number of movie theaters nearby coupled with a surge in the use of streaming services to watch in in-theater movies, it is no surprise that developers believe a movie theater is no longer viable on the site according to the Greenwich Time. The storefronts to the east of the train station on Railroad Ave would also be renovated in order to provide newer storefronts to tenants and better connect the retail streetscape to the one on the nearby bustling Greenwich Avenue, which is home to many name brand stores such as Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue. The former movie theater would be demolished to make way for the new mixed-use facility. 

                           The mixed-use facility may encourage people to explore Greenwich, as it will be one of the few if not the only facility of its kind in the Mid-Hudson/Southern Connecticut area to have such a sleek, cutting edge design coupled with a large retail space. As Greenwich is nearby many towns and cities such as Stamford, New Rochelle and White Plains which are all known for having a wide variety of retail and mixed-use centers, Greenwich like many other municipalities is moving swiftly to develop a thriving business center around its public transportation hub to boost its local economy. This is also particularly important for Greenwich because Greenwich is among the wealthiest towns in America, therefore most residents have ample choices as to where they spend their money and can easily spend it outside of the town. 

                    It is worth noting that this is not the first time the Town of Greenwich has attempted something similar, though the last proposal may seem far more grand than this one. In July 2019, the town had announced a $45 million project in partnership with The Ashforth Company that would have constructed a brand new Greenwich MNR station, built a privately-owned park just outside of the station, constructing new luxury movie theaters as well as renovating the surrounding retail space. However, the project fell through due to a disagreement between the Town and The Ashforth Company over the air rights above the office buildings at 2 Steamboat Rd, which was part of the area in which The Ashforth Company wanted to develop which is a few blocks from the Greenwich MNR station. As shown by this combined with its latest efforts, Greenwich appears to be extremely set on transit-oriented development.

                    Truth be told, Greenwich is one of many towns and cities across the Mid-Hudson/Southern Connecticut region that is renovating its commuter rail station and rethinking land use around it. If it moves forward, this project could be Greenwich’s opportunity to add something unique to its stop on the Metro-North Railroad.

Works Cited 

Florin, Daisy. “After Air Rights Scuttled 2019 Deal, Greenwich Plaza Submits New Plan without Movie Theater.” Greenwich Free Press, 8 January 2022, https://greenwichfreepress.com/news/after-air-rights-scuttled-2019-deal-greenwich-plaza-submits-new-plan-without-movie-theater-173289/. Accessed 29 January 2023.

Kaufman, Richard. “New Restaurant, Retail Space Proposed For Greenwich Plaza.” Patch, 25 October 2022, https://patch.com/connecticut/greenwich/new-restaurant-retail-space-proposed-greenwich-plaza. Accessed 29 January 2023.

Florin, Daisy. “After Air Rights Scuttled 2019 Deal, Greenwich Plaza Submits New Plan without Movie Theater.” Greenwich Free Press, 8 January 2022, https://greenwichfreepress.com/news/after-air-rights-scuttled-2019-deal-greenwich-plaza-submits-new-plan-without-movie-theater-173289/. Accessed 29 January 2023.

McGown, Justin. “Bringing a new look to Greenwich Plaza.” Westfair Communications, 26 December 2022, https://westfaironline.com/real-estate/bringing-a-new-look-to-greenwich-plaza/. Accessed 29 January 2023.

Marchant, Robert, et al. “New look proposed for Greenwich Plaza, downtown train station.” Greenwich Time, 28 November 2022, https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/New-look-planned-for-Greenwich-Plaza-and-train-17606425.php#photo-23212948. Accessed 29 January 2023.

Tesei, Peter J. “GREENWICH.” Greenwich, CT, https://www.greenwichct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12751/7919-ToG-Ashforth-Co-train-station-revitalization-press-release. Accessed 29 January 2023.

Town of Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission. “Final Agenda 9-8-2022.” Greenwich, CT, 8 September 2022, https://www.greenwichct.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/8904?fileID=201238. Accessed 29 January 2023.