2 | PUSHING BEYOND October 16, 2017 | VOL. 53, No. 42
4 | RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH
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Building a better transportation system in Norwalk BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com
N Motor Inn was acquired for $7.1 million and was renamed the Circle Inn, while the Motel Hi-Ho was bought for $4.35 million and repositioned as a boutique established called the Hotel Hi-Ho. Gormbley, a Bridgeport native who attended Fairfield Prep, had no previous experience in the lodging sector, but he saw opportunity in these down-at-the-heels properties. “The town needs hotels,” Gormbley said. “There was a tremendous amount of demand for it. I know that being from the area, trying to find a hotel room around here is quite limiting.” Indeed, the town of Fairfield only has two other hotels that are part of very different lodging chains: the upscale Delamar Southport and the budget-focused Best Western. But Gormbley chose to retain independent identities for his acquisitions
orwalk Mayor Harry Rilling is feeling pretty good about his city right now. Of course, part of a city leader’s job is to exude optimism, but Rilling believes that Norwalk is well on its way to becoming more attractive to prospective businesses and residents alike. That's due in part to plans for upgrading its Merritt 7 train station, replacing the 120-year-old Walk Bridge that carries Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line trains over the Norwalk Harbor, and — possibly — building a new train station in its burgeoning Wall Street district. “More and more people are looking to rely on public transportation,” the mayor said at his office. “At the same time, we’re looking to reduce the number of cars on our streets and highways to the greatest degree we can. Whether that’s by more people using the train, shuttles (property managers Clarion Partners and Marcus Partners run such a service) or bikes, we want to make getting around more safe and efficient.” Located near the Merritt Parkway and close to a number of residential developments as well as The Towers and Merritt 7 Corporate Park, the revamped station is expected to include a raised platform, an elevator to better accommodate handicapped passengers and — most crucially, Rilling said — a footbridge allowing commuters to cross over from its west to east side. Also under consideration is expanded parking. Currently there are just 88 spaces — sorely deficient when it comes to demand, regardless of plans to reduce automobile traffic.
» HOTELS, page 6
» NORWALK, page 6
Hotel CPR: A pair of old Fairfield hotels get a modern makeover Edward Gormbley in a refurbished suite at the Circle Inn in Fairfield. Photo by Phil Hall.
BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com
W
hen the 80-room Fairfield Motor Inn opened in 1959 off the Post Road and the 40-room Hi-Ho Motel opened in 1955 off Exit 44 along the Merritt Parkway, they personified the highway lodgings of the Eisenhower era: functional yet homey establishments catering to the first wave of post-World War II travelers driving through
a tranquil and relatively undeveloped suburban Connecticut. The times changed, but these independently owned establishments did not keep up with the changes and for years they were widely viewed around Fairfield as dingy reminders of a bygone era, with very low occupancy rates. In 2014, Edward Gormbley, managing partner at the Norwalk-based real estate investment firm Workforce Partners, teamed with Clayton Fowler of Spinnaker Realty to buy the properties. The Fairfield