Another housing post! 120 new apartments are coming to downtown Greenwich. And I have thoughts.
Benedict Court is officially underway just behind Greenwich Avenue, (behind St. Mary's Church, slap dab middle of the ave, prime location) where a collection of small houses, carriage houses and offices once stood.
But I also think it is fair to ask when downtown Greenwich starts feeling less like downtown Greenwich and more like a small city.
The new development will be six stories, with 120 rental apartments, two levels of underground parking and amenities including a rooftop terrace, fitness center, dining room, coworking library and resident lounges.
Of the 120 apartments, 72 will be market rate and 48 will be below market rate for qualifying moderate-income residents. Market-rate rental pricing has not yet been announced.
The project is being developed by Lonicera Partners, Nimbus Properties and Benedict Capital and is backed by an $88 million construction loan. Completion is expected in 2028.
But here's the part I keep coming back to.
There used to be these little houses tucked along Benedict Place and Benedict Court. They were hardly Greenwich's grand estates, but they gave those streets a scale and character that still felt very much like a town.
Now put this together with Chilston Court, the 78-unit luxury condo development going up on Mason Street, and that is 198 new residences between two major projects in central Greenwich alone.
Housing downtown makes sense. People want to walk to the Avenue. We need more housing options. And I understand why developers want to build here.
But I also think it is fair to ask when downtown Greenwich starts feeling less like downtown Greenwich and more like a small city.
Maybe that is progress. Maybe it is too much density. Maybe it is both.
What do you think?