Downtown Stamford, or Stamford Downtown, is the central business district of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It includes major retail establishments, a shopping mall, a university campus, the headquarters of major corporations and Fortune 500 companies, as well as other retail businesses, hotels, restaurants, offices, entertainment venues and high-rise apartment buildings.
Since 2000, new development has consumed much of the Downtown area, with the additions of new high-rise buildings and office towers such as the 34-story Park Tower Stamford formerly Trump Parc Stamford, parks such as the new Mill River Park, and housing such as the new 17-story Highgrove Condominium Residences. Other development projects include new student housing at the UCONN Stamford branch, residential housing, and the planned Ritz-Carlton Stamford development, which will include two 39-story hotel/condominium towers. The city also plans to make improvements to the Atlantic Street underpass beneath the New Haven Line railroad tracks just east of the Stamford Transportation Center in order to alleviate a traffic bottleneck.Porstner, Donna, "Stamford to get $7M from feds", The Advocate (Stamford), December 20, 2007, Stamford edition, page 1 The improvements are also meant to allow quicker evacuation of areas of the South End if disaster strikes. The project received a $245,000 earmark in the federal budget passed in December 2007.
Location In relation to other Neighborhoods in Stamford, the Downtown is East of the West Side (separated by the Mill River), North of the South End (separated by Interstate 95 and the Metro-North Railroad Tracks) and Shippan (also separated by the Highway and Railroad), West of the East Side and Glenbrook, and south of Newfield, Belltown, High Ridge and Turn of River. Bull's Head, the mostly commercial area at the intersection of High Ridge Road and Long Ridge Road, is immediately North of the Downtown. The area is within walking distance of the Metro-North Train Station.
Historic district
The Downtown area has been the heart of the town since colonial times. Much of the history of Stamford took place in the area.
The Downtown Stamford Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The originally listed area included 56 buildings along Atlantic, Main, Bank, and Bedford Streets, and examples of Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian, and Commercial Vernacular architecture. Its boundaries were increased in 1985 to include an area bounded by Atlantic, Main, Bank, Bedford, Summer between Broad and Main Streets and Summer Pl. The 1985 boundary increase captured the only surviving area in downtown of lower-rent commercial structures such as warehouses, laundries, and stables. and Its boundaries were further increased in 2002 to include an area including Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals and Modern Movement architecture, roughly, Bedford Street between Broad and Forest Streets. The 2002 increase added the 1939-built Avon Theatre and other buildings, adding Late Gothic Revival and Art Deco architectural styles not included in the first and second areas. and The current boundaries of the historic district now encompass most of the southern half of Downtown. The historic district designated in 1983 included the largest remaining area of pre-1930s commercial and institutional buildings in downtown Stamford. and The 1985 boundary increase captured the only surviving area in downtown of lower-rent commercial structures such as warehouses, laundries, and stables. The 2002 increase added the 1939-built Avon Theatre and other buildings, adding Late Gothic Revival and Art Deco architectural styles not included in the first and second areas.
Distinctive architecture
High rises Over the past 15 years, Downtown Stamford has experienced a boom in high-rise building construction.
Park Tower Stamford -- Finished in 2009, the 34-story condominium tower is currently the tallest building in Stamford at tall. The building currently features 170 condominium units and a 6-story parking podium. It was designed by Costas Kondylis, who was well known for his high-rise residential design. Atlantic Station -- Completed in 2017 by RXR Realty, the 26-story luxury apartment tower features 325 residential units, over of retail, and 333 parking spaces. The tower is currently the second tallest building in Stamford, at tall. A second residential tower is currently under construction adjacent to the current tower. One Landmark Square -- Completed in 1973 at a cost of $35 million, Charles, Eleanor, "In the Region/Connecticut: A Landmark Becomes Less of a Fortress", The New York Times Real Estate section, May 1, 2005, accessed August 9, 2005 the "Landmark" in its name is no exaggeration. When it was built, the , 22-story office building towered over a much lower skyline, and it remains the third-tallest building in the city, the tallest office high-rise, as well as one of the most distinctive buildings in Downtown Stamford. Five smaller buildings designed by Moshe Safdie were later built around the tower, comprising the Landmark Square office complex. Summer House -- Completed in 2016, the , 22-story residential building is the fourth-tallest building in Stamford. The steel building features 226 luxury rental units, and an Australian restaurant, Flinders Lane, on the ground floor.
Victor Bisharat's buildings
Many of the most distinctive buildings in Downtown Stamford were designed by the late Victor Bisharat, a Jordanian who received his education at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon and at the University of California at Berkeley. His Stamford buildings were designed for F.D. Rich Co.Emporis web site, accessed July 5, 2006 (For information on Bisharat's buildings on High Ridge Road, see Arts and culture in Stamford, Connecticut.) Saint John's Towers -- The three cylindrical, 17-story towers were finished in 1971. One was demolished in 2019 to make way for a new residential development. One Landmark Square -- 22-story building completed in 1973 was the tallest building between New York and Boston from 1973 to 2008. One Stamford Forum -- Looking like an upside-down ziggurat above its three-story parking garage, the building has an enclosed arboretum rising from the ninth floor to the penthouse roof, which is covered by 76 acrylic glass domes. The 13-floor structure is 196 feet high and was completed in 1973 as the world headquarters for GTE Corporation. In the 1990s, the Tresser Boulevard entrance to the building was changed (in a design by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum) from a "formidably stark concrete wall of a parking garage" to "a more inviting entrance ... clad in blue-gray ceramic tiles, with a lobby, canopy, colonnade and small garden". Dunlap, David W., "Stamford Reinvents Its Downtown Once Again", New York Times, January 5, 1997 Currently, the building is the headquarters of Purdue Pharma and Aircastle Limited. Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa -- The 16 floor, 305-room hotel was completed in 1976 and was the largest hotel in Connecticut at the time. The hotel was expanded to 505 rooms in 1986.
Other buildings One Atlantic Street -- Art Deco interiors, with murals in the ground-floor bank, and Art Deco exterior details as well. The red-brick/white marble building at the corner of Broad and Atlantic Streets was finished in 1931 and for a long time was the tallest in Stamford. University of Connecticut Campus -- The building with the vast, green glass facade at the corner of Washington and Broad Streets was designed by Perkins Eastman. Old Town Hall — The Beaux Arts building was built from 1905 to 1907 and served as the seat of local government until the early 1960s. The building opened for business on March 20, 1907. The last mayor to work there was J. Walter Kennedy, who moved to the Municipal Office Building that was on Atlantic Street (now torn down) in about 1961. The Old Town Hall held offices for the city government until all city offices were moved to 888 Washington Boulevard in 1987.Dalena, Doug, "100 years ago, Old town hall had something new to offer", The Advocate (Stamford), page 1, Stamford and Norwalk editions The "Fish Church", or the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, was designed by Wallace K. Harrison, the chief architect of the United Nations buildings in New York City, and opened in 1958. The fish shape is obvious to anyone who drives by, but the floor plan is also fish-shaped. The stained glass windows in the sanctuary contain more than 20,000 pieces of faceted glass. They depict the story of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. The -high cross is faced with wood from Canterbury Cathedral. "Brilliant blues, reds and yellows make up the walls -- and seem to fill the air. 'It really is like being inside a jewel,' says Reverend David R. Van Dyke, a co-pastor. 'When I bring people who haven't been here before, there's an audible gasp.'" (Life magazine, April 14, 2005)"America's Coolest Churches" , Life, April 14, 2005, accessed July 5, 2006. In March 1958, the $1.5 million church was dedicated with capacity crowds filling it for three services.Walsh, Erin, "From the Archives: The Week of March 9" weekly column in The Advocate (Stamford), March 10, 2008, p A5 Gurley Building (1924), also known as Valeur Building, an eight-story tall, narrow building at northwest corner of Main Street and Atlantic Street intersection (see ). "Sullivanesque"; designed by Edward B. Stratton and built by Clinton Cruikshank. 133 Atlantic Street (c.1861, remodelled in 1935) Fidelity Title and Trust Company, 129 Atlantic Street. Built by Clinton Cruikshank. 119 Atlantic Street (1926), four-story, masonry Weed's Hall (1886), 109 Atlantic Street. Narrow five-story building, the only Stamford building with a cast iron facade.
Ferguson Library (1910), two-story Georgian Revival brick building. Designed by Egerton Swartwout. It had an addition built in 1931, to the rear, which was replaced and further enlarged in 1981. 15 Bedford Street (1932), Art Deco two-story commercial building. (see ). Library Apartments, 65 Bedford Street (1930), three-story; second story "displays window spandrels with triglyph fluting". (see )
Entertainment
Most of Stamford's larger entertainment venues are located in the Downtown. These include the Palace Theatre, Rich Forum, and other movie theaters. The area around Columbus Park and Bedford Street has become a center for bars, clubs, and restaurants, although all three can be found elsewhere Downtown and around the city.
Events The Stamford Downtown Special Services District, known as Stamford Downtown, hosts yearlong events including a tour of a world-class sculpture exhibit, "Alive@Five" and "Wednesday Nite Live" outdoor concerts in Columbus Park, Arts & Crafts on Bedford Street and a giant helium balloon parade that marches through downtown which bring thousands of people into the downtown.
Police and fire services The main police station is located in the heart of Downtown, at 805 Bedford Street. A substation is located on Atlantic Street.
The Stamford Fire Rescue Department's Fire Station's # 1 and 5 serve the neighborhood. Fire Headquarters, or Fire Station # 1 is located on Main Street, in the heart of Downtown, while Fire Station # 5 is located on Washington Boulevard, in the Woodside neighborhood, just north of Downtown.
Filming locations