Stonington — In late 2020, Thomas “Zack” Tsagarakis, and his wife Lynn, began planning their retirement and closed their popular Zack’s Bar and Grille after 16 years in business.

But four years later a proposed bridge repair project has put their retirement plans on hold indefinitely as they wait to see how much, if any, of their property the state could take when it reconstructs the adjacent viaduct.

When the couple first decided to sell their two-story, 2,916-square-foot restaurant and home at 201 N. Main St. and move to Florida, so they could continue their active lifestyle of jogging, golfing and kayaking and be closer to their son, they weren’t in a rush.

“We had it on the market and if somebody came along to buy it, great. If they didn’t, we were very comfortable here. Recently, it’s become more dire for us to leave. We’re getting older,” Tsagarakis said on Tuesday about he and his wife, who are 70 and 73, respectively, and previously owned and operated the former Fisherman restaurant in Groton Long Point.

But selling the property and business has not been that easy.

The couple has made no attempt to hide the potential issues posed by the bridge work, but the uncertainty of how much, if any, of the couple’s property the state will need to take to complete the replacement has scared away potential buyers.

Zack Tsagarakis said that in early September, after doing their due diligence, a very interested buyer pulled out of the purchase citing all the unknowns about the future of the property.

Tsagarakis said that last year when he and his wife were in Florida, they found the perfect home, but they were unable to make an offer on it because they can’t get definitive answers from the state Department of Transportation, and they can’t sell.

“We’re kind of sitting here in limbo going, ‘OK guys, can you be a little bit more specific? Can you tell us what the hell is going on here?’ And of course it doesn’t look like we’re going to get any word,” Tsagarakis said.

“We’re the only ones that have a place for sale right here, so I can see the state’s not going to drop everything to get to this problem, because it only really affects one family, which is us,” he said.

Under the bridge

The building, appraised by the town for $409,900 and listed for sale for $625,000, has indoor and outdoor dining areas, a fully-equipped 1,400 square-foot-restaurant with a large parking lot and an upstairs apartment.

But it also sits along the Amtrak rail line in the shadow of the Frank Turek viaduct, the sole egress in and out of Stonington Borough, which is scheduled for a $45 million replacement.

When the aging span is replaced, its height will be raised by 4 feet to comply with state requirements for the Amtrak rail lines that pass beneath it, and the road will be elevated slightly on the town side to help reduce flooding.

The extensive work, estimated to begin in 2027 and take three years, will require new footings, and the location of those footings is still undetermined.

The Department of Transportation did not respond to an email requesting information or comment on the couple’s situation this past week, but in an August letter, Francisco Fadul, transportation supervising engineer, cautioned Tsagarakis that “it is premature for the CTDOT to define the extent of any necessary property acquisition for this project.”

“Due to your property’s proximity to the bridge, it is highly likely that there will be some right-of-way impacts to 201 N. Main St. The impacts may be relatively minor such as easements for access, or they may be more extensive, depending upon the alternative that is ultimately selected,” Fadul wrote, and noted that purchasing any property required for the project could begin in early 2026.

A July 4 DOT information sheet on the project, offers a revised schedule that pushes the design stage back to September 2025.

It further notes that coordination with Amtrak could further impact the schedule.

Other properties that could be impacted by the project include the Stonington Community Center’s Thrift Shop on Cutler Street, parking lots and a portion of Dodson’s Boatyard.

On Thursday, First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough said that after Zack Tsagarakis made her office aware of the issue, she reached out to the Department of Transportation.

“While we understand engineering plans of this magnitude take time, our team continues to work with DOT towards finding an expedited resolution. Mr. Tsagarakis’ kindness and patience during this difficult time has been very much appreciated by myself and our team,” she said.

According to the Department of Transportation information sheet, alternative plans for the viaduct are still being considered, though no details were provided, and conflicting dates are given for the start of the project. An anticipated date of 2027 is given, but in another area, the timeline is listed as “TBD,” or to be determined.

State Rep. Aundre Bumgardner, D-Groton, said on Friday that he was aware of the difficult situation the couple is facing, and that he was in close contact with Department of Transportation representatives and local officials on the matter.

“It’s essential that the Department of Transportation provides clarity as soon as possible on how the project will impact their property,” he said.

“This family. Like many others, deserve to have the information they need to make an informed decision about their future, especially given their plans to retire,” Bumgardner concluded.

Tsagarakis said he understands why the DOT can’t give him answers, and that even if the state decided to take his entire property through eminent domain, he would be fine with that. He just wants to know so that he and his wife can move on with the next chapter in their lives.

“It’s a long time to put your life on hold,” he said.