A 25,000-square-foot warehouse to store car collection

[Paul_Heery]

In the city where I live, there are a lot of places where people with much more money than I store their car collections. As mentioned in the article linked below, Letterman has part of his collection here (I know the curator). Duncan Dayton, from the family that started Target stores, has part of his collection here as well. There is also part of a significant Porsche collection warehoused within the city limits.

But, the other day I heard about a local billionaire building a 25,000-square-foot warehouse to store his car collection. A story on it was published on the website of the local newspaper last night. This location is less than a five minute walk from my house. Maybe I could get a part-time job "exercising" the collection.

Originally Posted by Danbury News Times

DANBURY -- Subway founder Peter Buck made headlines earlier this summer when he donated $30 million to his hometown hospital. Now the 83-year-old billionaire wants to buy 13 acres of city property on the west side to store his car collection.

Of all the proposals politicians have considered for the city land off Old Ridgebury Road, from a school to a baseball stadium to a "lifestyle center" with an independent film theater, a private car warehouse is the least intrusive.

That's part of the point.

Buck's $3.2 million offer has been endorsed by a City Council committee and referred to the full council for approval. If approved, it would effectively end discussion about a public use for the property, but it would bring in money the city could use to bolster its recreation department without the costs associated with a commercial development.

"If people see that we use the money to build new tennis courts and new soccer fields, they will say that this was a good deal for the city," said City Councilman Benjamin Chianese, a member of the study committee. "If that doesn't happen, people are going to say we lost a good piece of property."

The property once used by Union Carbide for softball fields was given to the city by Toll Brothers, developer of the nearby 546-acre residential and commercial development known as The Reserve.

The most recent plan for shops, restaurants and an independent theater on the property fell through when developer Paul Foley failed to secure financing by a city deadline, Chianese said.

Mayor Mark Boughton then sent out a request for new offers.

Details about the kinds of cars in Buck's collection were not offered during a presentation Wednesday to the council committee and city lawyers. A 25,000-square-foot warehouse would be built to house them.

The billionaire's proposal has precedent.

In 2012, late-night great David Letterman stored his collection of Ferraris, Porsches and Austin Healeys in a warehouse on Miry Brook Road, next to Danbury Municipal Airport.

Buck's proposal marks the second time he has made headlines this summer. In June, he gave $30 million to Western Connecticut Health Network toward the construction of a $150 million addition to Danbury Hospital.

Efforts to reach Buck through his Subway fast-food chain were unsuccessful on Thursday.

The next step is for the City Council to discuss the deal at its meeting in September. If approved, Buck would need Zoning Commission permission to build the warehouse.

One place money from the sale could be spent is on the 192 acres of open space along Mill Plain Road that the city bought off the development market in 2010, Chianese said.

"We could make that into a park," he said.

Billionaire to store car collection in Danbury - NewsTimes

[911SauCy]

Paul, I am always fascinated by what comes out of the woodwork in the local area.

Great local info.

[Seahawk]

When I was at the Sikorsky factory, I used to head up to Danbury all the time for a quick touch and go.

Runway 35 (I hope my memory serves) was my favorite: Come in hot over the hill and then zoom off to the left of the mall.

Beautiful area.

[URY914]

An 83 year old man with a car collection?
I guess he thinks he'll be living forever.....

[dafischer]

Originally Posted by URY914

An 83 year old man with a car collection?
I guess he thinks he'll be living forever.....

Maybe it helps to keep him "young". My dad turns 90 in two months, and he has a car collection.

[widgeon13]

Lived there for 35 years just south of the airport. Flown in and out of there a lot as well, always amazes me how many folks have nice car collections. Marcus Dairy was a rallying sport on many a sat or Sun morning.

A couple of well known exotic car places now on Miry Brook Rd.