The owners of the Pine Street property where Beval Saddlery used to occupy a single-story brick structure have applied to the town to create a new office building there.
Rear of the proposed new office building at 50 Pine St. in New Canaan. Specs by Gawron Turgeon Architects
Plans for 50 Pine St. call for a structure about the same size as the existing building, vacant since the equestrian riding equipment provider moved out last summer. It isn’t clear from the filing how much of the original building is to be preserved—no application for a demolition permit has been made.
The .63-acre lot then sold for $4,350,000 last September, and the new owners—a Bangor, Maine-based company—the following month applied through a local land use attorney to allow first-floor office use in the Business A zone. The Planning & Zoning Commission approved the change to local regulations.
50 Pine St. in New Canaan, formerly Beval Saddlery, sold for $4,350,000. Credit: Michael Dinan
On a main level totaling 7,591 square feet, the building would have nine private offices, four bathrooms, one conference room and one lunch room, with an open area and 1,585 square feet of space for future use, according to a building permit application filed Oct. 8 with the town. Plans bearing the name ‘Cross Insurance’ say the lower level—accessible from the rear of the building, which is down grade from Pine Street—would have 7,603 square feet of space, according to the application.
The work will cost about $1.9 million, the application said. The contractor on the job is to be Pittsfield, Maine-based Cianbro, the architect Scarborough, Maine-based Gawron Turgeon.
[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to state that no application for a demolition permit has been filed.]
Is this an opportunity to continue returning Pine Street to a proper village street? Could the new structure be built closer to the curb? More buildings along the street, with parking beside or in back, would make that part of downtown more pedestrian friendly and visually appealing.
LOL – “Pedestrian Friendly”…. key words for the zoning changes P&Z passed with encouragement from developers – that will turn the Village feel of the town into Norwalk. There is a lot of money to be made in New Canaan and these are the key words! Demolish buildings to move them closer to the side walk – and oh! – BTW – since P&Z at the same time removed height requirements downtown – you just happen to be able to build HIGHER than before. This is a small town – not NYC. Pedestrian Friendly – in my opinion – is NOT for the benefit of residents and visitors and will cause blight and over building. The existing building is part of New Canaan history.