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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. April 23, 2003: City Hall released Mayor Joseph M. Delfino’s Phase III New Challenges program Wednesday which the Mayor said “puts the finishing touches”on the Revitalization of the White Plains downtown. “We’re going to address those issues people have been talking about for years, affordable housing, even storefront facelifts,” an ebullient Delfino told WPCNR today.
MAYOR’S PHASE III INITIATIVE debuts. Copies of the new vision for completion of the White Plains Downtown Revitalization Plan were released Wednesday at City Hall.
Photo by WPCNR News
The 44-page plan sets specific goals: the establishment of a new “open air” International Market to be located at the present Court Street and Main Street intersection (to be developed and coordinated by the Downtown Business Improvement District) The location suggested is the stretch of the Court Street-Macy’s side of The Galleria.
Outgoing Councilman William King’s Children’s Museum a Centerpiece.
The plan adapts Councilman William King’s call for establishment of a Children’s Museum at a location central to the Main Street-Mamaroneck intersection. The museum feasibility and location and themes are to be explored by a citizen committee to be formed by the Mayor. The children’s attraction is expected to feature “how it works, hands-on” exhibits that have proven successful in a number of cities, including Raleigh, North Carolina, Naperville, Illinois and Boston.
Toonerville Trolley Returns
The Plan brings back the trolley to White Plains, a recent suggestion by Councilman Glen Hockley. The trolley, according to the plan would establish a White Plains loop to shuttle pedestrians from the City Center, Galleria in the West End to The Westchester Fortunoff’s East End of town, and include a “college loop,” between the downtown college locations and the businesses along Westchester Avenue.
RETURN OF THE TROLLEY: Good Old Mamaroneck & Maine as it appeared in 1929. Trolley tracks can clearly be seen turning from Main Street onto Mamaroneck Avenue. The new trolley system would not run on tracks, but would emulate the colorful trolley-like conveyances in popular amusement parks and cities in tourist destinations.
Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Schlotman by WPCNR NewsLab
Previous free shuttles the city tried in the 1990s did not work according to the Phase III report because “The concept relied on the faulty premise that shoppers from The Westchester would want to be shuttled to a downtown with vacant storefronts, dirty sidewalks, and ninety-nine cent shopping outlets.”
The aim to promote connectivity between the various attractions in the downtown, and ease the traffic flow.
The concept is similar to the pedestrian trolleys popular in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Disney World that move persons from one area to another without their having to return to their cars.
Establishment of a One Stop Business Center with Berkeley College to Bring in the Little Guys.
The Mayor’s plan calls for to reinforced “commitment to sustaining economic revitalization efforts by attracting, strengthening, and retaining White Plains’s base of small businesses and by creating employment opportunities for White Plains’ residents through its support of sustainable and viable business ventures.”
To accomplish this, the plan will attempt to establish “a one-stop small business resource center…to assist retail entrepreneurs interested in opening stores downtown and other small businesses.” The plan reports that Berkeley College “has been approached and is willing to offer a limited amount of space at 99 Church Street,” to partner with the city to create the Center.
The Center, according to plan’s vision, will recreate on a smaller basis what the Mayor’s streamlining of the development process did to drive Phases I & II of the Mayor’s Revitalization Plan. Business prospects would get information on what business permits, codes, and procedures that the city, and state require for them to come on into White Plains, and advice on how to proceed in an efficient manner. The city envisions the Small Business Administration, the Westchester Chamber of Commerce, the Senior Corps of Retired Executives and the Westchester Venture Group joining the One Stop Center effort.
The Campaign for White Plains
The plan calls for expanding the conservative promotion White Plains undertook the last three years to promote the city:
The plan aggressively calls for an “I love NY” type of advertising campaign for the city, writing, “Phase Three’s marketing effort must be more comprehensive in order for White Plains to fully take advantage of the momentum that currently exists. New retailers, corporations and realtors all need to be reached through a cohesive, professionally produced advertising campaign that highlights all the positive attributes of White Plains.”
The campaign objectives will be to attract new office tenants to attack the 17% office vacancy rate; convincing “name brand retailers” to locate to the downtown; and enticing new residents to the White Plains housing market.
The media envisioned include a city sales brochure, a multi-media video/CD rom presentation, expansion of the city website, exhibitions at trade shows and advertising in business publications.
To accomplish this the plan calls for the hiring of an advertising/marketing agency to create and produce the campaign. The campaign is planned to be paid for by seeking “outside funding from interested parties to help defray costs.” The cost of such a campaign is estimated by the plan at between $50,000 and $80,000.
Facelift for South Lex and West Post Road for the Future
The Mayor’s plan calls for turning attention to doing for the South Lexington Avenue, West Post Road corridor what the Streetscapes campaign is doing for Mamaroneck Avenue.
“Downtown corridors such as the South Lexington Corridor must be positioned to share in the benefits of the City’s reinvestment initiatives,” the plan states.
The city will form a “Neighborhood Strategy Area Program” Plan, by working with the White Plains Housing Authority, Winbrook residents, area businesses including White Plains Hospital Medical Center and the automotive dealers “to address the opportunities in the South Lexington Corridor.
The plan is envisioned by the Mayor to improve the infrastructure, address quality of life issues and provide funding for building improvements and social serviced programs.
Immediate objectives of the NSAP Plan will evaluate existing conditions, assess economic and social conditions, including public safety, community services, and quality of life issues.
On the priority punch list are: upgrading the sidewalks, lighting, receptacles and street conditions, the building facades, with expanded Public Safety presence, and job training and employment services.
Improvement of Facades
The aging exteriors of the balance of Mamaroneck Avenue are targeted by the Community Development Rehabilitation Program. The plan will make efforts to encourage landlords to seek free advice and consultation from architects specializing in “downtown streetscape enhancement,” paid for by the Community Development Program.
The city also plans to amend its signage and building façade regulations to “allow for greater creativity in design.”
Beefy Role for BID
. The plan maps a more involved “beefed-up” role for the Downtown Business Improvement District (the “BID”). The BID is being called upon to not only take an active role in developing the International Market attraction, but expand its role to include “a gum busting campaign” to remove gum from sidewalks, a “Passport program” to promote the downtown to new residents and encourage pedestrian activity.
The BID is assigned to make downtown a lingering place with on-going street entertainment attractions, and entertainment programming of the Main-Mamaroneck Plaza.
Market Monitoring.
The BID is charged with conducting ongoing analysis of the BID area retail mix “to determine how properties might be better integrated;” and is expected to interface with the city’s mall managers to “encourage greater exchangeability and connectivity between the downtown and the malls.”
On the issue of parking, the city is suggesting exploration of a “Valet Parking” service at city-owned parking garages.
“The Case for Connectivity”
The thrust of the Phase III plan is aimed at connecting the malls, The Galleria, City Center, White Plains Mall, White Plains Plaza, The Westchester and Fortunoffs and Bloomingdale’s and businesses in the downtown together:
“the City should create a system of connectivity that will link each of the new power centers with the existing downtown and retail infrastructure in order to create a new synergy within the downtown.”
The city calls this “the Mall Meets Main Street trend,” and Phase III is aimed at creating a “walkable” community, with “consumer sharing between retailers, and mass transit to create a downtown macro power center that adds value to the existing downtown small retailers, shopping complexes, downtown apartments and the City as a whole.”
In the conclusion of the plan, a choice is offered,
“White Plains is currently at a crossroads. With tremendous momentum on its side, the City can either capitalize on that momentum to reach the finish line or it can slow down and/or reverse course in favor of a vision that no longer fits within the framework of a progressive suburban City.”
To find out how you can receive a copy of Phase III, New Challenges contact the Mayor’s Office at 422-1411.
