Future of National Hall uncertain

The future of the Inn at National Hall and its surrounding buildings in the Historic Design District is uncertain as Greenfield Partners, the entity in line to purchase the buildings, considers whether to go through with the deal.

Last week, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved with some modifications Greenfield Partners' application to amend the zoning regulations pertaining to the district in which the property lies.

"We're studying the regulations and the implications for the property," said Larry Weisman, an attorney representing Greenfield Partners. "We're trying to look at it on a square footage basis, on a building-by-building basis and see if it works for us in order to determine if we want to complete the purchase or not."

Greenfield Partners, a Norwalk-based real estate investment company, entered an agreement with Antares Investment Partners to purchase the National Hall building, and several other surrounding buildings, for approximately $9 million. Greenfield Partners originally owned the buildings, but sold them in 2006 for approximately $20 million to Antares.

The Historic Design District -- where the buildings are located -- was created in 1987 as a means to protect the four buildings situated on the west bank of the Saugatuck River. The district is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the National Hall could be considered the centerpiece. Built in 1873, it towers over the surrounding buildings. Originally, there was a dock where merchants would unload their products and place them in National Hall. It served a variety of uses since then, and became an inn in 1993.

With no sale finalized, Marco Degl'

Innocenti, resident manager of The Inn at

National Hall, hasn't heard anything from Greenfield Partners or Antares Investment Partners about the future of the building and his high-end inn.

"For the moment ... my intention is to stay here and safeguard the hotel and my [13] employees," said Degl'Innocenti. "At this point, I really don't have a choice."

The waiting game isn't anything new to Degl'Innocenti, who has been through proposed changes to the building before. Condos at one point were planned and approved for the building, but nothing was ever built.

"Unfortunately, this property has gone through this kind ... of swing from one use to another before," he said. "We've been here since 1993 and we're still here."

Original zoning regulations limited 10 percent of the area to be office space, and none was allowed on the ground floor. Under the approved amendment to the zoning regulations, 20 percent of the floor space of all the buildings has to be dedicated to retail.

That 20 percent equates to the ground floor space of all the buildings in the district, not including the National Hall. The building on the corner of Post Road West and Wilton Road that houses L'Antiquaire is privately owned and included in the 20 percent of retail space.

In making its case for the amendment, Weisman cited vacancies and said retail is not viable in the area. Weisman and Greenfield Partners said that office space was the only reasonable option, with the National Hall eyed as corporate headquarters for Greenfield Partners.