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Six condominiums are planned at the Armory site on Mason Street, as shown here in an artist’s rendering.

Six condominiums are planned at the Armory site on Mason Street. This artist’s rendering shows the entrance from Mason Street.

Six condominiums are planned at the Armory site on Mason Street. Shown here is an artist’s rendering of the main entrance.

Six condominiums are planned at the Armory site on Mason Street. Shown here in an artist’s rendering of the corner of Mason and Havemeyer.

Six condominiums are planned at the Armory site on Mason Street. Shown here in an artist’s rendering is the entrance on Havemeyer Place.

Six condominiums are planned at the Armory site on Mason Street, as shown here in an artist’s rendering.

Plans have been filed to build six condo units at the Armory site off Mason Street, just north of the historic structure.

Plans have been filed to build six condo units at the Armory site off Mason Street, just north of the historic structure. The roof of the “drill shed” would be removed to showcase the steel truss work underneath.

Plans have been filed to build six condo units at the Armory site off Mason Street, just north of the historic structure.

GREENWICH — As part on a building boom targeting central Greenwich for new housing units, developers are seeking to build six condo units at the Armory site on Mason Street.

A proposal was filed with the town late last month to build upscale housing in the parking lot just north of the old Armory building at 226 Mason St. off Havemeyer Place. The site is across the street from the central Greenwich firehouse and the police department’s headquarters on Havemeyer.

The Armory, a former National Guard facility completed in 1911, would be preserved under the plan, and a related annex to the Armory would undergo substantial modifications. The Armory currently houses a number of offices.

The site is owned by GFC Havemeyer LLC, which is associated with downtown property owner Helen Nitkin, according to the application file. Her company is also the developer on the project.

Under the proposal, developers would construct a three-story residential building, along with a rooftop level. A two-level parking garage is also planned.

The concept is a “unique project that aims to preserve the cultural heritage while adding to the diversity of residential options in central Greenwich,” Chip Haslun, an attorney representing the project, wrote in the application overview.

Next to the Armory and largely hidden from view on Mason Street is a so-called “drill shed,” once used for rifle practice and marching drills by the local guardsmen. The proposal calls for opening up the structure’s roof to reveal the metal truss work that girds the top of the building, highlighting the historic nature of the site. Most of the drill shed’s facade would be preserved, according to the development team.

“The project design team envisioned and proposed a plan by which a substantial portion of the drill shed would be maintained and/or restored,” Haslun wrote. There have been discussions about creating a historic display and commemorating local veterans at the drill shed in the future, Haslun added, but nothing has been finalized.

The proposal has undergone review in recent months with the town’s Historic District Commission. The Armory site is part of the National Register of Historic Places, lying within the the Greenwich Avenue Historic District.

The Armory site has been the subject of earlier development attempts. Approval was granted to developers in 2007 to construct nine townhouse units, a project which never advanced. Beginning in 2017, a proposal was considered to relocate an educational operation run by Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich to the Armory site, which also fizzled. Both of those plans called for demolishing the drill shed.

The Historic District Commission has given its informal blessing to the concept, while more review is expected. According to a memorandum from commission Chairman Steven Bishop, the plan to showcase the old steel framing on the drill shed, as well as to preserve it, held merit.

“With the removal of the roof’s material (from the drill shed), these engineering marvels will be completely visible and be an immediate visual association of historic engineering,” the memo stated. A “sense of the commission” had been taken, which indicated that the “conceptual design is favorable,” the memo said.

A number of other large-scale building plans have been put forward for central Greenwich in recent months, often involving historic structures. Plans for three apartments on top of the Shreve, Crump & Low jewelry store, built in 1925, are under consideration. A six-story building is also proposed at the Bank of America site at 240 Greenwich Ave. A number of other large-scale development projects in and around Greenwich Avenue and Sherwood Place are also in the review stages.

The Armory was designed by a local architect Frederick Smith, who served in the Spanish-American War.

The building was decommissioned by the military in 1971. It was used as a warehouse for a publishing company for a number of years and was later converted to office space.

The application for the condo units has not yet been scheduled a preliminary review of it with the town Planning & Zoning Commission.

Robert Marchant is a veteran newsman who covers public safety and public policy in Greenwich. Marchant holds a master's degree in history from Columbia University and is the author of a book on urban history.