The First Selectman’s Office and the Fairfield Hills Authority are both considering EverWonder Children’s Museum bid to make Newtown Hall its new home inactive following a letter sent in December.

The children’s museum, which offers exhibits and extensive programs to children from its current location at 31 Pecks Lane here in Newtown, had long expressed interest in the building, which has been vacant for more than two decades.

The authority reviewed the letter at its January 30 meeting and arrived at the same conclusion that First Selectman Dan Rosenthal did when he first received the letter — that EverWonder was no longer pursuing the building.

Tenancy at Newtown Hall became an issue last fall following competing letters of intent received in mid-2022.

EverWonder had submitted a letter of intent asking for 18 months to fundraise and make an offer for the building in August 2022. Then, 1st Financial Bank USA, with headquarters in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, submitted a letter of intent for the building in September 2022.

The intent of the bank was to utilize the historic structure as corporate headquarters for Premier Financial Services, one of its subsidiaries that administers financing for vintage and luxury vehicles. The midwestern financial institution recently acquired Premier, which had been located in neighboring Woodbury.

However, after learning there was a competing bid, 1st Financial Bank decided to step aside to give EverWonder an “opportunity to see if they can make it work,” according to Rosenthal. Rosenthal offered eight weeks for EverWonder to submit plans for the museum’s potential use.

A letter from former Director of Planning George Benson in October 2022 asked the children’s museum to respond providing current financial statements; a business plan projected to one, three, and ten years; an estimated renovation budget; committed sources of capital from bank loans, grants, and donors; and a statement on the financial viability of the business post development.

In EverWonder’s December response, its board and Executive Director Merredith Cristos wrote that “EverWonder does not have sufficient information or access to sufficient information to develop credible estimates of costs to renovate Newtown Hall.” The letter states that a 2015 study showed that it would cost $800,000 for hazardous material remediation, and that cost would certainly be higher in today’s dollars.

The letter points to a January 2022 study showing that EverWonder’s annual visitation rate would increase an average of 143 percent, to 59,000 visits per year. But the letter stated it would require further spending by EverWonder to get the information asked for by the town, and the board had decided it was “not currently appropriate to allocate additional capital to engage architectural and structural engineering firms.”

While the letter ends with a statement hoping to continue conversations with the town, both Rosenthal and the FFHA consider the building available for other bidders.

“We understand the perspective of the museum, but our feeling is that the building is still on the marketplace,” said Rosenthal. Rosenthal said he has informed 1st Financial Bank, but has not received a response.

At this week’s FFHA meeting, Chairman Ross Carley said the letter was put on the table and discussions ensued, “searching for what the letter meant.”

“We had a discussion on why [EverWonder] did not answer [the town’s requests for information],” said Carley. “They did not meet any of the criteria set by George Benson.”

Carley said because of the lack of information from EverWonder, the authority made a decision to consider the building open for lease or purchase.

FFHA member Melissa Moriarty suggested that when WynnDevelopment potentially completes its mixed used commercial/residential buildings on campus, EverWonder could possibly pursue space in one of those buildings.

Carley said that the authority “was really taken to task online” following the initial response to the offers between the museum and the bank, and that the authority “was accused of trying to back out of a deal that was never there.”

“I’m glad it’s all out in the air,” said Carley. “People are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. It’s done, I hope.”

Carley said he did not know if there was any current interest in the building.

“It’s a great little building, it’s in really great shape,” said Carley.

After being contacted by The Newtown Bee for a reaction, EverWonder board spokesperson Dr Aaron Coopersmith said there would be no comment offered regarding the Newtown Hall project.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.