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Merritt 7 Complex Challenges,
Design
Albert D. Phelps, Inc.
By Chris Cowles
John Crosby has been in building management longer than many firms have plied their trade in the business, so it’s fair to assume he’s pretty much seen it all.
As president and chief executive officer of Albert D. Phelps, Inc., Crosby heads the venerable Norwalk-based management concern that oversees the Merritt 7 Corporate Park, one of the premier office developments in the region whose tenants include a veritable who’s who in a number of industries.
Located in the heart of Fairfield County adjacent to the Merritt Parkway and Route 7 and a stone’s throw from I-95, the six-building complex sits on 22 lushly landscaped acres on the banks of the Norwalk River, the very tributary that underwent some significant changes more than 25 years ago when ground was broken for what was to later become nearly 1.4 million square feet of Class A office space.
“We basically relocated the Norwalk River,” Crosby said half-jokingly when he recalled the design process of Building 101, Phelps’ initial construction that commenced in 1978 and had tenants moving into the 225,000-square-foot structure two years later.
The advent of Building 101 did not come without its share of design challenges, especially due to the location’s proximity to the Norwalk River, the very waterway that in 1955 caused massive damage wrought by heavy flooding following a pair of hurricanes in an eight-day span.
“When we were designing the first building, people really questioned us,” said Crosby. “Who would build an office like that in Connecticut with a river running through it was what people were thinking.”
Albert Phelps, the founder of the firm and one of the original developers, silenced the critics and more than one skeptic.
“We got environmental approvals and we essentially redesigned the river,” Crosby explained. “There was a second project that we helped undertake, too, because we needed a railroad station, so we relocated one that was north of us and it became the Merritt 7 station.”
The first tenant to move into Building 101 was IBM, a very promising start, says Crosby. “Our first tenant was IBM,” he said, “and I guess if IBM moves into a building, it might be a good idea for other people (businesses) to do the same.”
Over the years, many have followed suit and Merritt 7 now includes General Electric Commercial Finance, ABB, EMCOR, Siemens Business Services, American Express Financial Services, Kodak Polychrome, Marsh USA, FactSet, InBev, Ipsos and Alcan Packaging to name but a few of the tenants.
The foresight by Phelps, who acquired the land back when Main Avenue was just a meandering road with literally nothing but a few gas stations and shacks on it, to see the possibilities for the area was certainly no accident.
Although Phelps, 78, is now retired from the day-to-day operation of the firm, he still has an office in Building 401 and keeps his fingers on the pulse as he maintains a close watch over the holdings of the company that bears his name.
“They (Phelps) have done a marvelous job,” said Carl Kuehner, who heads Building and Land Technology, one of Phelps’ biggest rivals. “They were the true visionaries.”
In addition to Merritt 7, the organization includes shopping centers in Danbury and Fairfield as well as Bedford, N.Y., and Cortland, N.Y., in its portfolio.
As is the case with any business involving property management, location is the first and foremost concern of any prospective tenant
“The distance for the labor pool to travel was good,” said Crosby who noted the reverse commute situation compared to the heavy traffic patterns commuters faced going to Stamford or Westchester, N.Y. “Employees could afford housing in the area and be close to where they worked, that’s key.”
Phelps is in the midst of a $23 million improvement of the complex which includes new lobbies and complete redoing of the exterior of the buildings. Meeting tenants’ requirements is a priority, says Crosby, who notes the park keeps pace with state-of-the-art technologies and offers a wide range of amenities.
Either on the campus or within a block are three hotels, a day care center, fitness and conference centers, catering, a variety of eateries, a credit union, dry cleaners as well as a rental car agency.
“You have to work with tenants,” Crosby says. “It’s important to keep good tenants for the long term, so we believe it is better to meet their needs, work with them and take less in profits in order to keep them (tenants).”
The ability to structure longer leases has led to cost-savings for tenants and Merritt 7 is now 97 percent occupied. “We like to have a 90- to 95-percent occupancy rate,” said Crosby. “The area is averaging 80- to 85-percent, so we’re very pleased.”
