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Politics & Government

Moving Uptown

Town Council has approved the lease of office space above the movie theater to the Chamber of Commerce and New Canaan CARES.

The Chamber of Commerce and New Canaan CARES will be moving into the second floor of the New Canaan Playhouse on Elm Street. Town Council unanimously approved a five-year lease Wednesday night, with Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and Town Council member Tucker Murphy abstaining.

Approximately 1,000 square feet of space will be leased to the two non-profit organizations, who will be jointly responsible for the rent of $1,440 per square foot. The town has been looking for a new tenant ever since purchasing the property in 2007. Previous tenant Kitchens by Deane "received some interest in the property, but nothing panned out," said Murphy.

Under the terms of the lease, the town will have the option to increase the rent by three percent if the two parties agree to a subsequent five-year extension.

Before the tenants can move in, Town Administrative Officer Tom Stadler said, about $8,000 worth of work needs to be done to bring the space up to code, including electrical work and provision for hot water. The hope is that the two non-profits will move in by Oct. 1, once the tenants themselves have also had the chance to work on the property.

Stadler also said the search for a tenant led to a preference for a non-profit to move in. While the street-level space was successfully leased to Crumbs in March of 2008, the second floor space has often been passed over by prospective commerical tenants as being less convenient to shoppers.

"Through the winter months, we put the word out to the community (about the space). We had one for-profit offer but when you compare the term sheets, this current non-profit offer comes out better," Stadler said.

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For-profit tenants might also mandate certain housekeeping duties from the town. The Chamber of Commerce and New Canaan CARES, however, are happy to perform these duties themselves, saving the town money and making them more attractive tenants.

The prominent space in town will give these two non-profit organizations a highly visible presence in the community, something each of them has struggled to maintain.

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