5 | SAVING A CENTER December 5, 2016 | VOL. 52, No. 49
16 | COLLEGE REAL ESTATE
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Lord & Taylor wraps up Stamford renovations
A rendering of the now completed Dresses Dept.
BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com
Sisters Act
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Sisters Jennifer Bebon, left, and Mari Flicker found inspiration in family holiday hosting obligations to launch their new business in Fairfield, Holiday in a Box Shop. Photo by Phil Hall.
‘Great day for Norwalk’
OFFICIALS HERALD START OF WASHINGTON VILLAGE REDEVELOPMENT
BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com
W
ith the redevelopment of Washington Village underway, as symbolized by a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 28, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said the city
is well on its way to realizing revitalization plans that have been in the works for nearly a decade. “This,” he said after the ceremony, “is a great day for Norwalk.” Phase one of the Washington Village plan involves the construction of 80 mixedincome rental residences: 40 replacement public housing units, 18 affordable tax cred-
it units and 22 market-rate units on two vacant parcels of land at 13 and 20 Day St. in South Norwalk. Part of a three-phase redevelopment effort to revitalize South Norwalk, upon completion the present 136-unit Washington Village public housing project will be replaced by a 273-apartment complex, 50 percent of which will be reserved for public housing. “Washington Village is the oldest housing complex in the state of Connecticut,” Rilling said of the site, which has been occupied since 1941. “It’s tired. Its infrastructure is in need of significant repair, it floods and the residents there don’t have the quality of life to which they’re entitled.” Phase one of the housing development is budgeted at nearly $45 million with a completion date of March 2018. Funding came from several sources and distributed by the Norwalk Housing Authority, including: » Norwalk, page 6
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early two years of renovations have been completed at Lord & Taylor’s Stamford location just in time for the holidays. “Customers will experience a modernized, elevated and grander shopping experience,” said Eileen DiLeo, executive vice president of stores, Hudson's Bay Company Department Store Group, which includes Lord & Taylor, Saks, Neiman Marcus and namesake Hudson's Bay. “They will find a plethora of new brands — many of which are exclusive — and have more options than before in almost every category. Customers will also notice updated fixtures and a new logo on the exterior of the building.” “The Stamford location is one of Lord & Taylor’s earliest standalone branch stores — originally opened in 1969 — and an important location for our company,” DiLeo said just days before its grand reopening event on Dec.1. Though declining to say how much the work cost, she added: “We wanted to create a modern» Lord and Taylor, page 6