On Memorial Day 1925, the Savin Rock Park Co. opened its amusement park to 300,000 visitors and 66,000 automobiles in a single day. The park closed on Sept. 21, 1966, to make way for the Savin Rock Urban Renewal Project. For most of the century since that opening day, a private business at the water's edge gave people a reason to come down to the Rock. For the last stretch of that century, the business was Jimmies of Savin Rock at 5 Rock Street.
West Haven reaches this fall without that kind of anchor. Jimmies has closed, and its successor next door is still under construction. In the meantime, the shoreline has been running on public projects and a public calendar. This winter is the gap between one landmark restaurant and the next, and the work going on during the gap will decide what kind of shore the next restaurant opens onto.
Two buildings on Rock Street
In December 2025, the Connecticut Scoop reported that Jimmies would close permanently after 100 years in business. A month later, NBC Connecticut reported that the building was empty and for sale. No buyer or new plan for the site has been announced publicly since then.
Next door, at 6 Rock Street, the long-vacant Savin Rock Conference Center is being rebuilt as The Kelsey at Savin Rock, a restaurant and event venue. The opening date has moved. Last winter, the Connecticut Scoop and NBC Connecticut both reported a summer 2026 target. The Kelsey's own site now says early 2027, and the city gave the same timing in its July announcement.
The plans describe a different kind of building from the one that closed next door:
- An American coastal menu built around fresh seafood, a raw bar, handmade pastas and comfort dishes such as burgers
- Indoor dining rooms that convert into event and banquet space
- New outdoor decks, plus rooftop dining with a seasonal bar
- Space for live music, elevators and a small outdoor plaza
The building belongs to the city. The redevelopment keeps the footprint of the original city-owned structure and gives it a new façade. According to the city's July announcement as published by Patch, a $900,000 state grant got the project started. That makes the next Savin Rock anchor partly a public project, which is a real change from a century of privately run attractions.
The street gets rebuilt before the restaurant opens
Captain Thomas Boulevard is how most people reach Rock Street, and the state is paying to rebuild it. In July, the State Bond Commission awarded West Haven $2.1 million for pedestrian upgrades, modern lighting, median curbing, and paving for the parking lots and part of the boulevard. A separate city project will install new traffic lights between Campbell Avenue and Kelsey Avenue. No completion date has been announced for either project.
Mayor Dorinda Borer made the connection to Rock Street herself in the city's announcement, which Patch carried:
"An upgrade to Captain Thomas Boulevard will be an important complement to those efforts, as it's the gateway to these new projects."
The same announcement describes crosswalk lights the city has ordered. They detect a person in the crosswalk, not a car, and the light follows the person across the road. The boulevard grant adds to earlier state money for the shore, including $600,000 for new boardwalk fencing and lampposts. If the timing holds, people heading to The Kelsey in 2027 will arrive on a rebuilt road.
Beach Street already has its new anchor
East of Rock Street, the change happened sooner. Riva Bar & Restaurant opened in summer 2025 at 183 Beach Street, the former Chick's site. The Connecticut Scoop described a tiki bar, an indoor bar, a restaurant, an ice cream shop and an outdoor stage.
In its first full year, Riva became one of the shore's regular sponsors. Its name appears on the sponsor lists for the July 3 Savin Rock Fireworks Spectacular and the Savin Rock Festival. At the Special Olympics Connecticut bocce competition hosted at Savin Rock, the mayor thanked co-owners Michael Delvecchio and Stefano Coletta. The city noted that their inaugural Riva Gives Back Golf Tournament in July raised more than $12,000 for Special Olympics Connecticut athletes.
A few doors down, the former Frenchy's Bait & Tackle at 267 Beach Street is being turned into a community café. The Connecticut Scoop reported plans for Connecticut-roasted coffee, local beer and wine, and both rooftop and indoor seating. In July, the city said the café was expected to open "within the next few months." No opening day has been announced publicly, so it is worth watching for this fall.
The calendar did the work in 2026
With Rock Street between restaurants, the shoreline's biggest days this year were public events on public ground.
On July 3, the Savin Rock Fireworks Spectacular was part of the city's celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary. Police closed Captain Thomas Boulevard and Ocean Avenue between Kelsey Avenue and South Street for several hours, which gave the night the feel of a block party.
On July 24 and 25, the Savin Rock Festival filled Old Grove Park. The lineup included Bee Gees Gold and Bohemian Queen, $60 five-minute helicopter rides along the shoreline, the West Haven Rotary Club's pancake breakfast, and the Parks and Recreation bocce tournament. The Chamber of Commerce founded the festival in 1982. Its whole theme is the old amusement park, and the city called it a tribute to the place once known as "Connecticut's Coney Island."
On Oct. 3, the sixth annual Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo spread fire engines across Savin Rock Park and part of Captain Thomas Boulevard. It also offered rides in West Haven's 1935 Mack pump firetruck.
The newest addition to the shore is also public. Eco Park opened on June 16 along the Land Trust of West Haven's shoreline easement at the Old Grove Park boardwalk. The city and the land trust turned an overgrown strip into a space for habitat restoration and outdoor education.
Rules for the boardwalk are under discussion
More people on the shore means more competition for the path. On Aug. 14, Mayor Borer proposed an ordinance covering e-bikes, e-scooters and similar devices. It would cap their speed on sidewalks at 10 mph and allow them on the boardwalk only if they are pedaled by hand or walked. The mayor described the affected stretch as the walkable path from Sandy Point to the Charlotte Bacon playground. As proposed, each violation would carry a $100 fine and police could confiscate devices. If the City Council enacts it, signs with the rules will go up along the shoreline. The city's post describes a proposal, so look for those signs or a council vote before treating these rules as settled. This post is general information, not legal advice, and the city's final ordinance text is the version that counts.
What's left on this year's calendar
Most of the shore's big events are done for 2026, so the rest of the season's dates move inland:
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 p.m. Halloween on the Green, at West Haven Green, 1 Church St., organized by West Haven United and the City of West Haven.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 3 p.m. The first annual Halloween Kids Ball at West Haven Public Library, 321 Elm St., with trick-or-treating, music, food and games. Registration is listed.
- Nov. 15 to 21. Restaurant Week 2026, promoted by the city.
The Green has its own project on the way. On Sept. 22, the state's Community Investment Fund board approved West Haven's $2.5 million request for downtown work on the Green and the 9 Curtiss Place plaza and alley, including a microgrant program for small businesses. State Bond Commission approval is the next step, and the city expects the work to take about two years. Downtown is starting the same kind of public groundwork the shore has been through.
The next shoreline milestones are the café opening at 267 Beach Street, construction on Captain Thomas Boulevard, and The Kelsey opening at 6 Rock Street in early 2027. After that, the open question is 5 Rock Street, where Jimmies stood. If you're weighing what these shoreline projects could mean for a home near Savin Rock or Beach Street, Clifton Green follows these changes closely and can walk you through the details. Contact Clifton Green.
