Greenwich Post Office Sold

Greenwich real estate magnate Peter Malkin, whose holdings include the Empire State Building in New York, has paid more than $15 million for the historic Greenwich Post Office.

The building at the intersection of Greenwich Avenue, Arch Street and Havemeyer Place, was put up for sale earlier this year by the United States Postal Service which is jettisoning hundreds of facilities around the country in an attempt to reduce expenses.

According to documents filed with the offices of the Greenwich Tax Assessor and Town Clerk, Greenwich Retail LLC - a Delaware-based organization with headquarters listed for Malkin's Grand Central Plaza offices in New York City - the sale was completed Aug. 15 and officially recorded with the town clerk two days later.

Greenwich Retail LLC paid $15,057,500 for the Neo-classical building erected in 1917.

While rumors continue to swirl about which high-end retailer - including Bergdorf-Goodman - will occupy the premiere space on The Avenue, there are several caveats dictating the use of the building.

Any changes to the building must be approved by the state of Connecticut because the building is included on the National Register of Historic Places. "No construction, alteration or rehabilitation shall be undertaken or permitted to be undertaken that would affect the historic features ... without consultation with and the express permission of the Connecticut Historic Preservation and Museum Division ...," according to the documents filed with the Greenwich Town Clerk's office.

The historic Colonial-era mural high above the lobby of the post office must be preserved, according to Christine Dugas, a USPS communications program specialist based in Rhode Island.

Dugas said that the mural - depicting a scene of early American settlers painted by Victoria Hutson Hutley of West Cornwall in 1937 as part of Franklin Roosevelt's WPA program - will be removed and refurbished before it is offered to the Town, or another local arts-affiliated organization for display.

First Selectman Peter Tesei said Wednesday the town would welcome the opportunity to gain ownership of the mural but has not yet been contacted by the USPS.

Provisions of the sale also will allow replacement of side doors on the Arch Street side of the building; replacement of the main entrance door that is "in a style more consistent with the Neo-Classical design of the building, (and) demolition of (a) 1936 addition and loading dock to provide additional parking and remove unsightly loading dock on Greenwich Avenue," according to documents.

Dugas also said the postal service could not release the costs associated with the post office remaining as a lease tenant in the building while the new downtown facility on Amogerone Cross Way, near the top of Greenwich Avenue, is prepared.

She said she also could not release the costs of converting the former Choice Pet Supply building into a post office or how much rent the postal service will pay for that site, which is expected to be operational "by late fall or early winter."

One thing that will be missing from the new facility will be the well-worn brass mailboxes with their aged patina and glass windows adorned with fading gold-leaf numbers, according to Dugas. More modern boxes will be installed in the new post office.

Malkin did not return voicemail and e-mail messages seeking comment.

According to Assistant Town Planner Katie Blankley, no plans have been filed with the Planning and Zoning Department concerning a future tenant for the Greenwich Avenue building.