Bankwell announced Thursday that it is leasing the 30,000-square-foot, three-story building at 258 Elm St. in New Canaan—formerly known as the “Unimin” building—from New York-based full-service real estate advisory firm Besen Partners, LLC, which acquired it in October.
Bankwell is moving its headquarters into 258 Elm St. in New Canaan, formerly known as the “Unimin” building. Photo courtesy of Bankwell
Bankwell is to use the office space for its headquarters, and Bankwell CEO Chris Gruseke said in a a press release that the company would gather more than 100 employees there. “With the addition of over 50 of our team members relocating to New Canaan, I am personally gratified to be part of a plan that will bring economic stimulus to our town,” Gruseke said in the release. “We are mindful that, despite our growth throughout Fairfield County and into New Haven County, our bank has its roots in New Canaan and would not enjoy the success we have today without the original support from our local community. I would also like to thank Dan Steinberg of Besen Partners for the patience and flexibility which allowed us to plan this physical transition during these very trying times.”
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New Canaan Library is expecting to begin self-service pickups of books and other materials as soon as June 15.
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Asked during a press briefing Thursday about the status of installing security cameras at entrances to Waveny, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said, “It’s in process.” Asked what’s the next step in that process, Moynihan said, “I don’t know exactly.” It’s been one year since a New Canaan woman launched a grassroots effort for the cameras after the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, a proposal backed by New Canaan Police.
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This week’s installment of the “Francos Wine Minute” (below) is about natural and organic wines. Here’s Carl Franco of Francos Wine Merchants on Elm Street:
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New Canaan Health Director Jenn Eielson during a meeting of the Health & Human Services Commission Thursday thanked a number of helpers by way of noting that her department is not only addressing testing and other COVID-19 needs but also is doing its usual work in overseeing food service and nail and hair establishments, working with local camps, reviewing soiling testing, septic systems, bundling permits, Planning & Zoning applications and wetlands reviews. She thanked Tucker Murphy, Anna Krolikowski, Tracey Karl, Cheryl Pickering Jones, Dr. David Reed, Steve Benko, Mose Saccary and Tiger Mann for “helping us through the various projects when we need extra manpower, and now we have Shannon [Vallerie] helping with our test site as well, so that is greatly appreciated while we try to keep everything going.”
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The New Canaanite on Thursday surpassed 8,000 comments approved since launching in January 2014. The news site since October 2017 has required that all readers use full and verifiable first and last names when commenting.
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Asked whether he the town would pursue a change to the pedestrian walkway configuration on Forest Street—as some restaurant owners have requested—Moynihan said he raised the matter to the group of citizen volunteers who put together the plan “and I think Tucker [Murphy] feels that we are so close to June 20th with the indoor dining that why bother?”
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New Canaan Police at 11:49 p.m. on May 21 cited a 19-year-old Stamford man for marijuana-related infractions after finding him in a car at Waveny after hours.
Matthew Kascak (pictured) has been named the new principal of South Elementary School. (Photo courtesy of New Canaan Public Schools)
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District officials said this week that Matt Kascak has been named new principal at South School, succeeding Joanne Rocco in the position. Kascak has served as assistant principal at South for 16 years. He earned an Educational Leadership degree from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and also holds a master’s of Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
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The Rotary Club of New Canaan announced this week that it awarded $37,500 in grants to local nonprofit organizations meeting healthcare and education needs of people living in New Canaan and surrounding communities. They include ABC of New Canaan, AmeriCares Free Clinics, Building One Community, Carver Center, Catholic Charities of FC, Community Mindfulness Project, Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Domus, Family Centers Den for Grieving Kids, Filling in the Blanks, Future 5, Horizons at NCCS, Inspirica, Kids Empowered by Your Support, Kids in Crisis, Laurel House, LiveGirl, Meals on Wheels, Mercy Learning Center, New Canaan CARES, New Canaan Historical Society, New Canaan Land Trust, New Canaan Mounted Troop, New Canaan Parent Support Group, Stamford Public Education Foundation, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Summer Theater of New Canaan, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Service of FC, and Waveny LifeCare Network.
The “After Alex” installation out front of Town Hall. L-R: Kevin Moynihan, Nancy Bemis, Secretary of New Canaan Land Trust and Co-Chair of New Canaan Sculpture Trail, Gilbert Boro, artist of “After Alex,” Aaron Lefland, Executive Director of New Canaan Land Trust and Beth Sanford, Board member of the New Canaan Land Trust and co-Chair of the New Canaan Sculpture Trail. Elaine Lloyd photo
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The sculpture “After Alex” by Gilbert Boro, installed now out front of Town Hall, forms part of the New Canaan Sculpture Trail. Designed by the New Canaan Land Trust in partnership with the Carriage Barn Arts Center to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Sculpture Trail includes eight juried sculptures positioned at Land Trust preserves, Town Hall and at the Carriage Barn courtyard at Waveny. The nine spheres in “After Alex” represent the solar system, organizers say.
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Finally, Moynihan said during Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that members of the Waveny Park Conservancy board had been “severely criticized” following revelations that the organization was moving forward with plans for the Waveny House forecourt that included removal of a cherry tree dedicated to the memory of former First Selectman Charles Kelley. Though Conservancy leaders won approval for the project on the strength of their assertion to the Town Council that they’d had a constructive conversation with Kelley’s survivors, those same survivors objected to that characterization on social media. Moynihan said during the meeting that the tree “can be incorporated into the plan” and clarified in an interview afterwards the the Conservancy had relented, and would keep the tree in place, pruning it back.
Chris Gruseke – Wonderful news about Bankwell! Thank you for bringing your headquarters to New Canaan.