Property sought by city listed for $1.6M
Stamford wants parcel to make way for roadwidening project
STAMFORD — The owner of the sole house on the north side of Pulaski Street has listed the property on the market as the city is currently negotiating to acquire it as part of a streetwidening and traffic improvement project in the South End.
The asking price? $1.6 million.
Fritz Chery, a broker with WEB Realty Company and a candidate for the Board of Education last year, said Roland Lesperance, the owner of 21 Pulaski St., thought the city’s offer for the house was one he could and did refuse.
“We have begun conversations with the city but they’ve given an offer that was way too low to even continue the conversation,” Chery said.
The threestory house at 21 Pulaski St. is currently appraised at $631,300 according to property records. Chery said that Lesperance, who has owned the property for more than 40 years, also rents part of the residence and makes around $50,000 a year from that income.
“We’ll see if a private developer is interested in securing that lot,” Chery said.
Chery did not respond to questions asking what the city’s offer was. City officials would not discuss the negotiations.
The city is interested in acquiring properties on Pulaski Street and Washington Boulevard as part of a project to improve traffic congestion by building a roundabout at Greenwich Avenue in Waterside and widening two roadways in the South End.
Widening Washington Boulevard and Pulaski Street entails a partial acquisition of three Washington Boulevard properties and a full take of 21 Pulaski St. according to the city’s Transportation Bureau Chief Jim Travers.
Last month, Michael Pollard, the mayor’s chief of staff, said the city would be entering into negotiations with the affected property owners after the Board of Representatives voted to put on hold a resolution that would have authorized a possible use of eminent domain if negotiations between the city and property owners failed.
So far, those negotiations haven’t come to fruition according to Chery.
Regarding the property listing, Arthur Augustyn, special assistant to the mayor for communications, said the city had no comment.
“The city is prohibited from commenting on ongoing negotiations,” Augustyn said.
The mayor can negotiate and purchase property for the city with approval from the Planning Board, the Board of Finance and the Board of Representatives, after a public hearing per the City Charter.
As to enacting eminent domain, the Charter delineates that the city can take land for municipal purposes or municipal use subject to just compensation to the property owner, with prior approval from the mayor, the Board of Finance and the Board of Representatives and after a public hearing. Property owners can, and often have, challenge eminent domain claims in court.
The project to widen Washington Boulevard and Pulaski Street is expected to cost $1.9 million. Charter Communications is to fund the project if it can be undertaken before the firm obtains its certificate of occupancy for its new headquarters, estimated to be around 2022.
Stamforddeveloper Building and Land Technology is currently constructing Charter’s new headquarters at 406 Washington Blvd.
Charter officials declined to comment and BLT Chief Operating Officer Ted Ferrarone said the developer had no comment regarding the 21 Pulaski St. listing.
For now, the Pulaski Street house is currently listed on a number of real estate websites.
“(Lesperance) doesn’t have to move or sell. He’s perfectly fine staying there and passing it on to his children,” Chery said. “If he doesn’t get the number he’s looking for, he’s just going to stay.”