GREENWICH – Lonicera Partners and Nimbus Properties on Sept. 18 celebrated the groundbreaking for Benedict Court, a 120-unit multifamily residential community downtown, along with Congressman Jim Himes, First Selectman Fred Camillo and other local officials.
The development, whose address is 19 Benedict Place, is slated to be completed in 2028.
Located just steps from Greenwich Avenue, the project is being developed through a collaborative process with the Town of Greenwich and Greenwich Affordable Housing Trust Fund to address a range of housing needs in the community while complementing the surrounding neighborhood. With 40% of the units offered at below-market rates, the apartment community will create new housing opportunities for both market rate and middle-income residents, the latter of which is central to the project.
“This project represents the largest amount of new housing options coming to the center of downtown Greenwich,” said Jamie Anthony, a partner at Lonicera Partners. “Our development team worked very closely and collaboratively with town officials to create a thoughtfully designed residential community that aligns with the character and long-term planning goals of the downtown area. The location sits within an existing high-density commercial zone, which Town officials identified as a logical area to expand local housing availability.”
The six-story brick-clad, mid-rise building will feature a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with 10-foot ceilings and large floor-to-ceiling windows. More than half of the units will be two-bedrooms well-suited for empty-nesters or a small family and nearly 30% will be three-bedrooms to address the growing demand from families who want to stay in Greenwich without the burdens of home ownership.
The community will also feature a suite of lifestyle-focused amenities, including a fitness center, resident dining room for hosting events, private library and coworking space, and a shared rooftop terrace, with unencumbered views of the Long Island Sound.
Designed by NYC-based BKSK Architects, the building incorporates traditional New England-inspired elements – hand-set brick, historically proportioned windows, a corbelled datum, and a refined, neutral material palette, all of which were intentionally chosen to reflect the architectural character of Greenwich.
Forty-eight of Benedict Court’s 120 residences – 40% of the building –will be available for the first time to moderate-income households, in collaboration with the town and Greenwich Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The program supports members of the local workforce, including educators, healthcare workers, first responders, municipal employees and service industry professionals, many of whom currently work in Greenwich but may not be able to afford to live there.
“We worked with the town and came up with a new formula for affordable housing, something that has not been done in Greenwich, or for that matter in Connecticut, before,” said Phil Wharton, a partner at Nimbus Properties. “Benedict Court’s affordability mix meets Connecticut’s 8-30g statute and represents a way to provide housing options for those who work in town but can’t afford to live here but who also earn too much to qualify for conventional affordable housing. They’ve been stuck in the middle – until now. ”
