Green Street Studios Revitalizes Downtown New London Building

There is no shortage of conversation on ways New London can improve its downtown spaces. But one family decided it would be more effective to buy a building and renovate it.

The investment has paid off. Green Street Studios, at 38 Green Street, has attracted a number of local artists as well as a bookstore.

Michael Blair, a Stonington realtor, is one of three owners of the building in the family-owned limited Gesher Associates LLC. The other owners are his son Gavin Blair and brother-in-law Mati Barak, both of whom live in New York City.

“My son went to high school around here, and he really liked downtown New London,” said Blair.

Gavin, who attended the Williams School, said he and his fellow students frequently visited the city. He said the idea for Green Street Studios was modeled after the Velvet Mill in Stonington, a renovated artists’ space where his father was a leasing agent and his mother has a studio.

“Every time I go to New London it just reminds me of the potential it has,” said Gavin.

Nancy Pinney, a painter who knew Blair and his wife from their involvement with the Velvet Mill, got a space at Green Street Studios since it was closer to her home in Old Lyme. She said she enjoys the space's affordability and natural light.

“They’re just great people," said Pinney. "And I knew that he would put a space together that’s perfect for artists because he’s very sensitive to their needs."

It cost $210,000 to buy the building and about $175,000 to renovate it, according to Blair. The upgrades included the removal of dropped ceilings in the upper spaces, the installation of LED lights and new doors, restoration of the bathrooms, and new wiring and plumbing.

Gavin said the owners did much of the work themselves in family get-togethers. One of the most interesting parts, he said, was discovering some of the original features of the building such as the tin ceiling hidden under the dropped tiles.

The artist studios are located on the second and third floors. Rent ranges from $275 to $425 per month, a cost that includes electricity, heat, and wireless Internet. Gavin said the idea was to offer competitive prices for the creative use of the building. Blair said the studios would have been limited to one floor if there was not significant interest in them, but artists began contacting him after the owners started a Green Street Studios page on Facebook.

As of mid-July, Blair said seven or eight studios were left and the remainder had been rented. Blair said it was unclear what would be used for the first floor retail space, but that this uncertainty was resolved when Monte Cristo Bookshop agreed in July to move to the location from their former Washington Street site.

Christopher Jones, who owns the bookstore with his wife Gina, said his uncle has done some work with Blair and that New London’s economic development coordinator, Ned Hammond, also suggested he get in touch with the building’s owners.

Jones said the new space has a lower rent and more foot traffic than the former location.

“It just seemed to make sense,” Jones said of the decision to move. “The cards all fell this way, and it just seemed like we’d be better here.”

Blair said he is pleased with the interest the studios have generated and hopes to be at full capacity by the end of August, including an art gallery to be incorporated into the bookstore. He also hopes the purchase and renovation will inspire similar investments, saying he thinks there are 10 or 15 properties that would be key to downtown revitalization if they can be purchased and improved.

“I’m a big believer in downtown New London,” said Blair. “I’m a member of the Trust for Historic Preservation. And as a real estate agent, I’ve been encouraging people to buy downtown.”

Gavin and Blair said they have been encouraged by the response to the effort, as they have received support from city officials. Gavin said neighbors have also stopped by and said they are glad to see the reuse of the building.

“We’re really optimistic about it,” said Gavin. “It’s just an opportunity for that part of downtown New London.”

Renovation work will continue into the fall, including work on the facade and transom windows.

Editor’s note: Gavin Blair is an employee of Patch.com. He is the director of technology operations in the New York office.

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