Darien Times
Darien Fire Department trains at future bank site
Jul 30, 2007

REAL LIFE PRACTICE %u2014 Two Darien firefighters get ready to do fire training at two Post Road buildings slated to be demolished to make room for the new Darien Rowayton Bank.

The buildings at 993 and 1003 Post Road — the future site of Darien Rowayton Bank — may be vacant and at this point not an ideal setting for businesses, but they are perfect for the Darien Fire Department, which was in need of a site for fire training.

John Bowes, chairman and chief executive officer of Darien Rowayton Bank, said the department contacted him about a month ago asking if it could use the two existing structures since they are due to be demolished. He said it is hard for the department to find real buildings in which to train and often end up using a cement facility.

“I said I’d be delighted, but I needed to get clearance from the land owners... who also thought it would be a good idea,” Bowes said. “They gave their approval as well.”

He said the department began its training at the site last Monday evening and will continue to do so “from time to time” until the buildings are razed within the next couple of weeks. All the electrical had already been turned off and hazardous materials removed before the firefighters set foot on the property.

“They’re using it to train the staff on various aspects of firefighting,” Bowes said. “They’re not burning anything down. But they got on the roof and chopped a hole in it to simulate what to do in a real fire and they may knock down some walls or a couple of doors.”

While the department is hacking and chopping, the bank is awaiting its building permit, which it expects to get from the town in the next week or so. Bowes said the bank already has its demolition permit and will begin tearing down the brick and yellow buildings by the beginning of next month with construction to start immediately after.

Also, he said the bank has selected a contractor — it received three bids for the project — but will not announce the name until the contract has been signed, which is expected to be done by week’s end.

“A lot of people have been anxious about this site,” Bowes said. “I’m excited to be getting started on the building. I’m looking forward to it.”

The bank’s new headquarters will take up part of the first and second floors in the 15,300 square foot building that will also contain retail space on the first floor and office space on the second. It is scheduled for completion next August, which is when the lease for the bank’s current location on Corbin Drive expires.

“We always planned to be in the new building by that time even though we’re behind in the construction start,” Bowes said.

He said the bank will make up any time lost as well as save a considerable amount of money by eliminating the basement, which had been included in the building’s original plans.

The decision to get rid of the basement came in response to the “tremendous”  water problem faced by property owners in downtown Darien. Bowes said the bank would have needed to install “extensive” water-proofing and water removal systems.

“We figured if we eliminate the water problems, we eliminate substantial costs,” he said. “And we save on construction time.”

E-mail Darien Times associate editor Susan Chaves at schaves@darientimes.com.

© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers