A joint venture of Saber-Hightower LLC and Granoff Real Estate has closed on the acquisition of 101 and 201 Merritt 7 and is set to begin conversion of the two vacant office buildings into 286 loft-style rental apartments. First units are expected to be available in late 2027.
The two eight-story buildings were the first of six built in the Merritt 7 office park, at the northeast corner of the Merritt Parkway and Route 7. Both buildings are steps from the Merritt 7 Metro-North station on the Danbury Branch, giving residents rail access to Stamford, Greenwich, and Manhattan alongside direct highway connections.
“While some developers may have looked at these buildings as a teardown-and-rebuild opportunity, we saw the value in reusing what was there,” said Greg Belew, co-founder of Saber-Hightower. “With 11-foot ceilings, wall-to-wall windows, and simple floor plates, it was apparent to us that we had great bones to work with. The best approach to adaptive reuse is to keep it simple. We are making no structural modifications to either building, and that lets us control costs and mitigate risk.”
The buildings include more than 1,300 parking spaces. A portion of the top-level deck will be converted into a landscaped, resort-style amenity area with a great lawn, a swimming pool with cabanas, dog runs, a putting green, and a bocce court.
“Because we had so much space to work with, we can give residents more generously sized layouts than a ground-up building would allow,” said Marty Berger, co-founder of Saber-Hightower. “There is unmet demand in this market for residents who want a more sophisticated experience.”
The unit mix comprises 42 studios, 167 one-bedrooms, and 77 two-bedrooms, averaging 983 square feet. Most units include dens suitable for home offices, nurseries, or storage. 26 units will be designated affordable under the city’s inclusionary requirements.
Saber-Hightower, led by Marty Berger and Greg Belew, formed the partnership with Granoff Real Estate, an affiliate of Granoff Architects, which serves as project architect. Granoff Architects designed the conversion of The Mill in the Glenville section of Greenwich; a 1980s office building and adjacent historic mill converted to residential; the property traded for $97.5 million in 2025.
“The Saber-Hightower and Granoff teams integrated seamlessly as true co-developers,” said Rich Granoff, founder and managing principal of Granoff Real Estate. “Given continued weakness in regional suburban office markets, we look forward to exploring other conversion opportunities with Saber-Hightower.”
About Saber-Hightower LLC:
Saber-Hightower LLC is a premier real estate development and investment firm focused on markets in the eastern United States. Based in Briarcliff Manor, NY, the firm is led by Marty Berger and Greg Belew, each with over 30 years of industry experience in multifamily and commercial real estate. For more information, visit: www.saberht.com
About Granoff Real Estate LLC:
Founded in 1998 by Rich and Jill Granoff, Granoff Real Estate (“GRE”) is a vertically integrated real estate development firm based in Greenwich, CT that specializes in multifamily, mixed-use, and adaptive reuse projects across the Northeast. Originally established as an extension of Granoff Architects, GRE combines development, architecture, and investment on one platform — allowing for greater control, efficiency, design quality, and long-term value creation. For more information, visit: www.granoffrealestate.com
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