A plan to preserve the historic Ada's Kitchen + Coffee building near the Riverside train station cleared its first regulatory step when the Greenwich Historic District Commission approved the concept and advised the Planning and Zoning Commission to greenlight the project, according to a July 14 Greenwich Time report.
The deal works like this: a "historic overlay" designation on the half-acre property would grant new owner TMEC Riverside a building bonus for saving the structure. In exchange, the Ada's shop must be preserved as a historic building. The bonus would allow the addition of a garage and roughly 2,000 square feet of living space to the adjacent two-family house.
"This is a true landmark in Riverside," attorney Tom Heagney, who represents TMEC Riverside, told the Historic District Commission. "We're looking to continue it as a coffee shop for the neighborhood, just refurbish it, and keep it as it is."
The shop closed in February 2024 after a rent dispute. It was named after Ada Cantavero, who ran a candy store at the location for generations before her death in 2008 at age 88. The building dates from the late 1800s and once served as the Riverside Post Office before becoming a candy store and, eventually, a coffee shop serving commuters near the train station.
The property doesn't conform to current zoning standards, making any expansion a significant challenge. The Planning and Zoning Commission suggested the HDC could assist by placing the historic overlay on the site, a path the HDC has now endorsed.
Heagney told the commission that damaged sections of the shop would be repaired but no alterations to the historic structure are proposed. Architect John Halper, who is designing the project, said the two-family residence next door would undergo a significant overhaul.
The proposal still requires Planning and Zoning Commission approval. Heagney said the full application will go before the commission later in 2026; no hearing date has been set. Residents with questions can reach the Planning and Zoning Commission at (203) 622-7894.
Upcoming
- Wednesday, July 29: The Town of Greenwich marks the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act at noon in front of Restoration Hardware on Greenwich Avenue, with a ceremony highlighting recent ADA improvements along the avenue.
