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6 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 17, 2023 Deal Watch HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Historic Preservation Hartford developer takes on transformation of antique Litchfield courthouse into boutique hotel By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com O ver the past 133 years, people have visited the granite-block courthouse just south of Litchfield's Town Green for everything from murder cases to child-custody disputes. In less than two years, however, the roughly 18,000-square-foot historic building could become a mecca for leaf peepers, wedding guests and tourists seeking an escape to the tranquil Litchfield hills. A planned $14-million redevel- opment spearheaded by Hart- ford-based Lexington Partners will transform the building into a 20-room boutique hotel. Under the plan, the main second- floor courtroom will be converted into an upscale restaurant, accentuated by a rooftop lounge overlooking a portion of the town center and wooded hills beyond. With all needed approvals in hand, Lexington anticipates finalizing the purchase this month and beginning a 15-month renovation in May. The firm specializes in developing and managing large-scale multifamily properties, but opted for a hospitality development after hearing from locals, including the Litchfield Preser- vation Trust Inc. The nonprofit acquired the property after the court relocated to Torrington in 2017. "We listened to the townsfolk and did our own due diligence," said Martin Kenny, owner of Lexington Partners. "If we did apartments or condos, it wouldn't generate the traffic to help support the rest of that beautiful center. To me, it's one of the most iconic architectural buildings in the state, particularly in the area." Proud history The Romanesque Revival-style courthouse — adorned with a Seth Thomas clock tower — dates back to 1889, and was designed by noted Waterbury architect Robert Wakeman Hill, according to state historical records. The exterior was remodeled in 1913 and 1914 to more closely reflect the town's colonial style. Kenny said he initially saw the courthouse conversion as a relatively modest effort, something that his younger staff, including his sons Kevin and Patrick, could lead from design through construction. However, challenges have crept up. Patrick Kenny, Lexington's vice president of development, said federal historic preservation guide- lines and state and local desires haven't always perfectly meshed. For example, there were disagree- ments over the design of a planned tower addition that's needed to make room for stairs, a dumbwaiter and elevator that will carry people and food from the basement to the rooftop lounge. Lexington and Hartford-based Tecton Architects proposed cedar-board siding to complement the town's colonial-style buildings; town officials and the National Park Service preferred brick. The brick design won out. "That's an example of getting every board and committee on the same page, and why it was so time-con- suming," Patrick Kenny said. The courthouse interior currently has cracks in plaster, loose and threadbare carpeting and at least one broken window covered with plywood. Patrick Kenny said the planned renovation will transform the deteriorating building while maintaining its historic character. Eight fireplaces will remain. A judge's bench from a first-floor court- room will be repurposed and used in the reception area, as will a scrolled wooden rail from the jury box. Other courtroom furnishings will be incorporated into the restaurant. A massive safe will be redesigned as a bathroom for one suite. "We are used to doing projects of $50 million and up," Martin Kenny said. "This deal has been just as complicated as some of the larger projects we have done. But it's a labor of love. I've told people that this little project is probably going to be one of the most significant things we have done in our body of work." Development costs pencil out to about $700,000 per hotel room. The restaurant will be an important source of additional revenue. The project is relying on $3 million worth of state and federal historic tax credits, in addition to $2 million in Connecticut Green Bank C-PACE financing for energy efficient building technology. Massachusetts-based PeoplesBank is loaning $7.5 million. Parking magnate Alan Lazowski, a longtime business partner to Martin Kenny, is among a group of friends and family also investing in the hotel. Patrick Kenny said Lexington is working to fill a small gap in the private equity portion of financing. Eagerly anticipated, much needed The new hotel will complement fashion boutiques, antique stores, restaurants and other Litchfield center shops far better than what came before, said Andrew Goldstein, who runs a jewelry shop a few doors down from the shuttered courthouse. Goldstein moved his Ideal Jewelers business from downtown Waterbury to Litchfield shortly before the court closed in 2017. The consensus among retailers was that the court didn't generate much business for merchants along the stone-brick sidewalks of the commer- cial core, Goldstein said. Most staff seemed to bring their lunches and head right home after work. The planned hotel, however, will provide much-needed lodging for an area that springs to life with tour- ists Thursdays through Sundays, Goldstein said. "It's a great addition," he said. "I know everybody on the street is very excited about it. It is going to bring in people. You can't imagine how much business we do from people who want to escape the city on the weekend." JoAnn M. Ryan, president and CEO of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, said the area will greatly benefit from another hotel, especially one that is more moderately priced than some existing options. "I'm a resident of Litchfield and live not too far from the Green, and the weekends are filled with New York cars," Ryan said. "You have to make reservations at the restau- rants to get a meal." Ryan said it can be hard to find an available hotel room, and existing options can run above the average visitor's budget. For example, the 113-acre Winvian Farm resort and spa in nearby Morris Patrick Kenny, vice president of development at Hartford-based Lexington Partners, stands in front of a historic courthouse in Litchfield his firm is converting into a boutique hotel.