What’s next for SoNo distillery after developer gets initial OK for apartment plan
Late last year, the city of Norwalk approved a developer's proposal to build a six-story, 32-unit apartment building at 19 Day St. The plan requires the demolition of SoNo 1420 Distillery.
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SoNo 1420 Distillery is considered a neighborhood gem on Day Street in South Norwalk. They have tours and tastings, events, and the spot itself has plenty of character, making it a community gathering for many.
“Going back ten years, I had this idea to set up a unique distillery that would be located here in South Norwalk. Back in ’17, when I first signed my lease, this was a very rundown part of the neighborhood,” explained owner Ted Dumbauld.
But Dumbauld recognized it was up and coming.
“We opened our doors to the public in April of 2019, started out really strong, COVID came along, changed the industry a little bit, but we managed to get through COVID, and we've continued to grow ever since,” Dumbauld explained. “We were kind of the start of the original gentrification of this area. Now, if you look ten years later, it’s really remarkable how this neighborhood has changed.”
And the development may not be over. Late last year, Dumbauld's landlord filed plans to build a six-story, 32-unit apartment building there, which the city approved.
“So, they now have the ability to tear down our property, build the new apartments, and bring more density housing to the area,” Dumbauld told News 12. “We have no timeline. My landlord has not been very communicative through this whole process.”
In fact, Dumbauld learned about the project proposal last August from a reporter seeking comment.
“We were kind of blindsided,” he stated.
Alpha 5MK, a real estate entity led by Peter Kosann out of Rye, NY, bought the property in 2021. Dumbauld said Kossan was pretty hands-off, and things remained the same until he applied to bring more housing there. But SoNo 1420 Distillery still has almost seven years left on its lease.
“Right now, we're not making any plans to move, so it's business as usual. However, because he does have approval from the town, he can come to me at any time and say, ‘Okay, Ted. Let's sit down, let's look at your contract, and let's see if we can negotiate a way to terminate your contract that makes you happy and allows me to move forward with my project,'” Dumbauld explained.
News 12 reached out to Kosann but did not recieve an official response.
In the meantime, Dumbauld said he's not going to put any more investment into the current location since he could get a call whenever to be out in as little as nine months.
“In life, in business, there's always uncertainty,” said Dumbauld, who's maintaining a positive attitude. I'm not staying up at night about this. We're running the business as if this isn't hanging over our head."
Dumbauld said if SoNo 1420 ends up moving in the future, he wants to stay in Norwalk.
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