Jimmies of Savin Rock dates to 1925, but the restaurant has occupied its current 5 Rock Street site only since 1974; the waterfront lot is now for sale, closing out one era on West Haven's shoreline just as a new one takes shape around it. The restaurant at 5 Rock Street shut its doors in December 2025, and the property has since hit the market as what one listing calls a rare chance to grab prime Long Island Sound real estate.
RIPCO Real Estate is marketing the site as a premier waterfront development opportunity, according to WTNH, which reported the listing touts exceptional visibility, waterfront access, and proximity to nearby residential, hospitality and recreational destinations. The site's acreage is described differently depending on the source: WTNH's report cites Mayor Dorinda Borer describing the parcel as seven acres on direct waterfront, while Patch describes the listing as a building of more than 12,900 square feet on five acres. No asking price was included in the listing, the station reported.
Ownership of the property is also described inconsistently across the available reporting. The Hartford Courant identifies Jimmies Inc. as the owner of record, while the New Haven Register reported the waterfront property is owned by the Gagliardi family.
A Century-Old Seafood Stand Closes Its Doors
A century-old business, Jimmies of Savin Rock occupied its current site since 1974 and closed in December 2025, the same report from WTNH noted. The family behind the restaurant said it was simply time to retire after generations in the business, and the closure left Turk's Restaurant and App's Ristorante as the only remaining restaurants in the stretch of Savin Rock where a bustling amusement park once stood, per the Register's reporting.
Borer told the Courant that it would be premature to speculate about the property's future now that it has gone to market, but she called the sale a welcome step amid what she described as a broader revival along the coastline. West Haven officials have framed the shoreline as the city's greatest asset and said they want to invest in it to draw further development, according to the same WTNH report.
Jimmies Site Joins a Crowded Savin Rock Pipeline
The Jimmies parcel isn't the only piece of the Savin Rock waterfront in transition. Riva, a bar and restaurant that opened in 2025 on the former Chick's Drive-in site, has become part of what the Courant described as a neighborhood transformed from what was once called a barren wasteland into a food, entertainment and housing destination. Riva co-owner Michael Del Vecchio said the spot aims to bring back the feel of West Haven's old days.
Nearby, the former Debonair Beach Motel site is slated for roughly 20 luxury condominiums with a pool if the project wins approval, the Courant reported, while the city's economic development materials describe plans to replace the building with market-rate residences featuring upscale amenities. The former Savin Rock Community Center, meanwhile, is being converted into The Kelsey, a high-end steak and seafood restaurant with rooftop dining planned to host weddings and other events, following final approval from the city's planning commission in March 2025, according to ctpost.com.
Conflicting Timelines for The Kelsey's Debut
Exactly when The Kelsey will open remains unsettled in the public record. The City of West Haven's economic development office says the restaurant's operator expects to open in early 2027, while WTNH reported separately that the restaurant could be up and running by the end of 2026. Neither timeline has been confirmed as final.
City officials point to infrastructure work as the backbone of the broader shoreline push. The raising of Beach Street to prevent flooding, which Borer's administration declared a top priority in 2019, is credited in the Courant's reporting with reshaping the surrounding neighborhood and spurring further private investment. The city has also touted a $10 million restoration of Beach Street as a complement to projects like Riva, according to its economic development page.
Betting on Transportation and State Dollars
West Haven officials have leaned on the area's transportation links to pitch the shoreline to developers, citing access via Interstate 95 and the Metro-North Railroad, per the city's economic development materials. The Jimmies site itself sits near Interstate 95, Route 1 and the West Haven Metro-North station, which connects the city to New Haven, Fairfield County and New York City.
The city has also drawn on state support to fuel its redevelopment ambitions, including a $250,000 Community Investment Fund 2030 award secured in September 2024 for a downtown development plan focused on the arts, small businesses and mixed-use housing, and a $5 million state grant toward a planned $10 million innovation center focused on artificial intelligence, bioscience and advanced manufacturing. The grants form part of the city's redevelopment ambitions.
For now, the Jimmies of Savin Rock property is on the market, leaving the century-old seafood landmark's waterfront lot as the latest — and perhaps most symbolic — piece of the puzzle in West Haven's reshaped Savin Rock district.
