Crafting A Marketing Pitch—

Authority Told ‘People Space’ Adds To Fairfield Hills Appeal

By Kendra Bobowick

Fairfield Hills Authority subcommittee members met Robert W. Barclay’s confidence with caution as he reviewed real estate options this week. The North American Realty Advisory president said, “This is a quality site.”

Explaining in part why he thinks they have something of marketable value in the old state mental hospital buildings and land now sitting quietly on expansive and rural acreage, he said, “It’s better than I think anyone believes.”

Expanding his comments Mr Barclay said, “Valuable ‘people space’ is what should be in here.”

He sees Fairfield Hills as a good headquarters location. “It’s that kind of site,” he said. “And all that green space — parks.”

Emphasizing the importance of window views, he said development often encumbers corporate landscapes, which would not be the case at Fairfield Hills.

Mr Barclay explained his view of the campus’s appeal, saying, “I think with acquisition you get a piece of open property. There is no other property like it in the state, it’s incredible.” As part of a lease or development agreement, “you can use the green around [a building], pulling the land into the value of the building…”

Further touting the circumstances buffering the campus from development, he remarked that elsewhere, older structures are torn down and “houses are going up”.

Continuing, he said, “You’re protecting this land forever, it’s part of the town and surrounded by fields and parks and trails and you can look out the window and see trees.”

As authority members investigate how best to approach marketing the campus and buildings, member Moira Rodgers stressed the need to keep within the master plan’s guidelines.

“We can’t do any more than the master plan allows.”

The plan proposes “private use” of buildings, and “this private use would generate income either through the sale of the building, the lease of the building, or the lease of the land.”

Revealing uncertainty on the authority’s chances of success at presenting the land and buildings that they currently intend to lease with stipulations, Ms Rodgers said, “The state has made half-hearted attempts at marketing.”

She and others are looking at the idea of drafting a request for proposals, or RFP.

“I’ll have to see a response,” said Ms Rodgers, hoping to learn if the area was attractive to potential lessees, or who those respondents might be.

Mr Barclay instantly disagreed.

“I think that’s backwards, I think you can manufacture a response,” he said.

Speaking with confidence, he said, “You have to have a concept and you have to be bold.”  He offered his advice suggesting that a strong attitude would prove influential.

He said, “This will not happen by wishing people to believe in it, if you don’t believe in it yourself,” he said.

Mr Barclay described one sales strategy that includes refocusing outside perceptions of the campus. Offering just one of several examples he has gathered in talking with numerous sources, Mr Barclay said, “People see this as a place to live, not a place for an office building.”

The authority’s hurdle now is to find the right approach to promoting Fairfield Hills, he explained. Telling members how he sees it, Mr Barclay said, “It’s 12 minutes from where people say the center of the world is…”

He frequently referred to corporations in Danbury, and also compared his view of the campus’s advantages to other upscale business hubs. He said, “There is no place that equals this in Westchester or White Plains.”

Changing the idea that Newtown and the Fairfield Hills campus is more a place of business rather than a park, he said, “You have to believe in it, go out there like real estate people who believe in it. If you go out there like the authority in the past, you’re stuck with the idea that this is a park.”

Drawing a picture in line with the authority’s future visions, Mr Barclay said, “You have to imagine the buildings [those slated for future demolition] gone and a new town hall in the middle and green space all around.”

The picturesque potential in the area’s real estate value should “grab big headquarters kind of people.”

Pitching his strategy, he said, “You have to demonstrate to them that you have an idea of the future. Get yourself convinced that this is a great property…”

As talks about preparing a request for proposal progress, Mr Barclay notes variations on procuring occupants for the sites. He suggested looking to corporate headquarters and local developers or targeting developers who have credibility, he said.

Drawing attention to other attractive features he sees in the campus, Mr Barclay said, “You’ve got roads, utilities, buildings…” Again making a suggestion with these points in mind he asked the authority to consider “putting together a package to go to developers.”

Authority Chairman Robert Geckle would like to hear from North American Realty Advisors at next month’s authority meeting.