After a years-long search for a suitable buyer, Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to sell a piece of property adjacent to its campus on Trout Brook Drive — currently the home of the Children’s Museum of Connecticut — to New York-based Continental Properties, which plans to build a luxury rental community there.
Kingswood Oxford officials said the school began looking for a potential buyer last January, after the Children’s Museum renewed its long-running search for a new location.
“We believe Continental’s vision will fit harmoniously on the property and be an important engine of growth for the Town of West Hartford,” said Head of School Tom Dillow. “The proceeds from this sale will help Kingswood Oxford meet our strategic goals of attracting and retaining great teachers, developing innovative academic and co-curricular programs and providing greater access for talented students. We are also excited for what the future holds for our friends at The Children’s Museum.”
A prospective purchase price for the property was not disclosed.
Continental said it is still in the “early stage” of reviewing potential layouts and architecture for the property and will be consulting with West Hartford’s Design Review Advisory Committee and town officials in the near future. A formal application for the project is expected to be submitted later this spring or early summer.
“West Hartford is a wonderful community and we’re looking forward to working with town staff and stakeholders to bring a beautiful new walkable residential community to the edge of West Hartford Center,” said Continental Principal Howard S. Rappaport. “We also look forward to meeting with our neighbors to present our plans, answer questions and address concerns.”
The Children’s Museum, which has been located at 950 Trout Brook Drive since 1958, initially began looking for a new home in 2002 and sold its property to Kingswood Oxford. It has leased the space from the private school ever since.
The museum’s leadership restarted their relocation efforts in 2020, eying a parcel in Hartford currently owned by the University of Hartford. No plans have been finalized, however.
“We’re happy to support Kingswood Oxford’s sale of their property as we focus on The Children’s Museum’s next chapter,” said Executive Director Michael Werle. “Our future looks bright and [we] will be making a decision shortly on both temporary and permanent locations for the museum and preschool.”
Colliers International represented the seller in the deal and helped select the buyer.
