[Hypothalamus]

Plans for old post office clear hurdle
Kate King Updated 10:54 am, Thursday, February 27, 2014


Artist's rendering of proposed luxury housing towers near the site of the historic downtown post office in Stamford. Photo: Contributed Photo

STAMFORD -- A proposal to incorporate the historic Atlantic Street Post Office building into a new apartment and retail complex won support from the city Planning Board on Tuesday despite concerns voiced by local preservationists.

The New York-based Cappelli Organization, which helped build the 34-story Trump Parc luxury high-rise on Broad Street, has proposed building two 21-floor residential buildings and 28,000 square feet of retail space on the Atlantic Street site. The developer would preserve the original footprint of the post office, which was built in 1916 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but would demolish the back section of the building, which was built in 1939.

Representatives from the Stamford Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program oppose the demolition of the post office's 1939 addition, which they say has major historical significance. Planning Board members were not convinced by the preservationists' arguments, however.
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The developer said the demolition of the post office's back section is critical to the project's success, however. Joseph V. Apicella, an executive vice president at Cappelli Organization, said the 1939 addition must be removed to make way for a roadway, which would separate the post office building from the two residential towers and connect Atlantic Street to Federal Street.

"It's critical to our ability to be able to design and build this project," Apicella said. "We have every intention to preserve and protect and enhance the architectural significance of the 1916 building."

Cappelli's proposed development includes 650 one- and two-bedroom apartments between the two 262-foot high towers. Apicella said he does not yet know how much the developer plans to spend building the complex.

Planning board members said they hope the Zoning Board, which is next in line to consider the developer's proposal, will mandate ground-floor retail at the complex and closely consider the traffic implications of the project. But the proposal won the Planning Board's unanimous support, with Dell saying she believes the development would enhance the neighborhood.
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Apicella said the developer is committed to building at least one of the two residential towers, regardless of whether the sale for the post office building goes through.

"We have financing in place and we're ready to go on the North Tower," he said.
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