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The Town of Greenwich officially received a $4.49 million check from Eversource (formerly Connecticut, Light & Power). It will be used to help fund the $27 million Project Renew renovation of the Nathaniel Witherell nursing home in town.
The ceremony was held Monday afternoon in front of the Nathaniel Witherell at 70 Parsonage Road.
"This is an auspicious occasion for us and the Town of Greenwich," said David Ormsby, chairman of the Friends of the Nathaniel Witherell.
The nonprofit Nathaniel Witherell is a short-term rehab and skilled nursing center owned and operated by the Town of Greenwich.
The Nathaniel Witherell, located on a 20-acre campus, was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service in 2010. The Friends of Nathaniel Witherell began the process to get the designation in 2009.
The designation allowed the state under its Historic Preservation Program to award a state income tax credit of $4.49 million to the Town of Greenwich. Since the town pays no state income tax the credit is transferable and the credit was sold to Eversource. The money has already been given to the town and reimburses what the town has already paid for the completed project, Ormsby said.
Ken Bowes, Eversource's vice president of distribution, said the contribution is an example of the utility's deep roots in the town.
"We have been part of the community for more than 100 years just like this community," he said during brief remarks at the ceremony Monday.
Project Renew increased the number of private rooms from 26 to 64 and eliminated 10 four-bed rooms that Ormsby likened to "something out of a Charles Dickens novel."
The project also saw improvements that modernized three existing elevators, redecorated rooms, new family reception areas and a 4,000-square-foot rehabilitation center among other improvements.
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