The Board of Estimate and Taxation on Monday approved a $50,000 appropriation requested to hire a consultant to analyze development proposals for the Havemeyer Building in Central Greenwich.

The appropriation funds work to evaluate responses to RFP No. 7871 for the long-term redevelopment of the 2.7-acre site, according to Mark Johnson, a member of the evaluation committee and a former BET member. "The town is looking for a developer who will provide a high quality vision and commercial proposal for the redevelopment and long term use of the property," Johnson read from the RFP and said the committee had interviewed developers and needed outside financial analysis to compare differing proposals.

The consultant, Johnson said, would assess the economics of competing offers — for example, comparing long-term leases with annual payments versus cash-up-front proposals — and calculate net present value and other measures needed to negotiate terms. Johnson told the BET the committee had informally interviewed three consultant firms that quoted "somewhere 30 to $40,000," and recommended a $50,000 appropriation to be confident the town could cover the work.

Members pressed the committee for more written materials and public engagement plans. "I'm uncomfortable that nothing is in writing," said Lucia Janssen, noting committee meetings and interview sessions had been held in executive session under purchasing confidentiality. Several members said they did not have background documents posted before the meeting and urged wider transparency once the committee is ready to present candidate proposals.

Questions from BET members probed scope and constraints. Elliot Olczyk asked whether the committee was seeking proposals that would remove the existing building; Johnson said the RFP does not require demolition and "of all the different proposals we've had, they all wanna keep the building, renovate it, enhance it." Committee members noted the property sits in a historic district and committee members said most respondents propose retaining and renovating the structure, sometimes with additions to the rear courtyard.

Johnson and others said the committee needs a consultant to determine the highest-and-best-value tradeoffs — e.g., what a very large new office building allowed by zoning would be worth versus a proposal with community uses, historic preservation and added public parking. He described the parcel's basic statistics: 2.7 acres, roughly 53,787 square feet of building area (including basement and attic), and assessment figures presented to the BET (land assessment about $32.4 million, building about $12.5 million; combined cited market value approximately $64 million).

Several BET members also raised process questions: whether the committee would use a competitive procurement for the consultant or sole-source the engagement and how the committee would handle public input. Kate Push, Town Administrator, was present and assisted the discussion; the committee confirmed it had checked potential consultants for conflicts and said it would run the consultant procurement through the town's purchasing process. The evaluation committee members said they had voted 7–0 to forward their recommendation to the BET.

After debate on timing and transparency — with some members urging a postponement to allow a written package for the RTM and others saying slowing the process could jeopardize developer interest — the BET voted to approve the appropriation. The budget committee had recommended approval by a 3–0–1 vote earlier in the day.

The committee hopes to have consultant results by late April, meet with the top two or three respondents to negotiate terms in May and, if a preferred proposal is selected, proceed later in the year with public meetings and any necessary land-use filings. Johnson stressed that any final lease or buyout negotiations would involve the town attorney and additional public review.

The appropriation carries conditions the committee discussed: the town will be responsible for relocating the Board of Education central offices (committee members said they understand that obligation and that estimates exist for the needed replacement space), and any recommended deal will be subject to the town's further review and negotiation. Public hearings are expected once the committee has narrowed proposals to one or two finalists and completed the financial analysis.

The Board approved the appropriation and directed the committee to proceed with procurement of the consultant under normal purchasing rules and to provide documentation to the BET and RTM as available.