Seligson Properties completes $20 million <br> renovation of health and banking center

Norwalk, CT Seligson Properties completed renovations transforming and modernizing the historic bank building at 637 West Ave. into a new medical facility for Stamford Health and a fully revamped branch office for Wells Fargo Bank.

The $20 million renovation was designed to reposition the existing three-story, 27,000 s/f building built in 1955 into 24,000 s/f of signature medical office space for multi-specialty care and physical therapy on the lower, ground, mezzanine and second levels, and a completely updated retail bank branch occupying 3,000 s/f on the ground level. A key challenge of the project entailed protecting the building’s distinguished features while equipping it to meet the needs of a modern healthcare facility and banking center, and phasing construction to allow operation for Wells Fargo and Stamford Health until their new quarters were completed.

The complete gut-renovation features new exteriors, including roofing, windows, doors, and lighting designed to enhance the building’s column-lined entranceway and brick façade, a new covered exterior entrance leading to a reimagined common lobby, updated interiors, safe and accessible parking areas for 120 vehicles, a network of sidewalks, landscaping, outdoor lighting and a new drive-thru banking facility. The property is located at the corner of West Ave. and Chapel St. in the West Ave. corridor downtown.

The project architect and consulting team at 637 West Ave. include Pustola & Associates, Long Consulting, Redniss & Mead, Eric Rains Landscape Architecture, and the SLAM Collaborative. Financing for the project was provided by Seligson Properties’ lending partner Liberty Bank.

The 1.64 acre site is situated in a dense and active regional medical corridor. Norwalk Hospital’s main campus is less than a half-mile from 637 West Ave., and its close proximity, coupled with access to major roadways, has numerous medical offices in the area including Norwalk Hospital Sleep Disorders Center and Rehabilitation Services, Yale New Haven Hospital Pediatric Specialty Center, The Center for Advanced Pediatrics, Westmed Medical Group, Hartford Health Care Medical Group (St. Vincent’s Medical Center), and Davita Health Center. Stamford Health provides primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, OB-GYN, rheumatology and lab services as well as sports rehabilitation and physical therapy services through HSS Sports Rehab. Providers for all services are accepting new patients.

“Norwalk residents benefit from having a wide variety of local top-tier healthcare options,” said Norwalk mayor Harry Rilling. “I want to thank Norwalk-based Seligson Properties, a highly respected developer, for their contributions to our community over the years.”

Stanley Seligson, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Seligson Properties said, “We are thrilled to support Stamford Health’s exciting expansion and maintain a vital location for Wells Fargo Bank in Norwalk through the innovative repurposing of 637 West Ave. Creating state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and ensuring a vibrant retail environment for Norwalk’s business community and residents has long been a key strength of our firm, and we’re proud to expand on our growing track record.”

“Stamford Health is deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve in lower Fairfield County and beyond,” said Liz Longmore, COO at Stamford Health. “The work completed by Seligson Properties and the enhanced services we provide at 637 West Ave. will expand access to expert, compassionate and high-quality health care for our patients in a state-of-the-art facility, closer to home.”

“Responding to evolving market conditions, we identified a smart opportunity to better serve the needs of existing tenants at 637 West Ave. by repurposing the historic building into a state-of-the-art healthcare facility for Stamford Health, while devoting a portion for active retail banking that revitalized Wells Fargo’s existing branch,” said Michael Serrao, COO of Seligson Properties. “This exciting project speaks to the extraordinary partnerships we’ve established with Stamford Health and sustained with Wells Fargo Bank, as well as the great work done by our project design team, and the support the project has received from the community and City of Norwalk.”