WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR THE DEVELOPER NEWS. By John Bailey. March 24, 2009: WPCNR has learned and the Mayor’s Office confirmed today that the U.S. Postal Service has had two sets of talks with the city on possible plans for a massive redevelopment  by a major developer of the Main Post Office site covering 4 acres of land, located between Bank Street  and Lexington Avenues across from the United States Court House in White Plains.

Part of the 4 acres of Fisher Ave. Post Office site that the General Post Office is eyeing for development. U.S. Court House is in background at right. Our Lady of Carmel Church at left.

The Developer taking part in Talks with the City  and the General Post Office is Handling Construction on this  $860  Million Project on the Schuykill River in downtown Philadelphia for the Brandywine Realty Trust. It features the tallest building in Philadelphia, the Cira Centre at the far right, a major conference center)  at 29 stories opened in 2005, and is beside the 30th Street Railroad Terminal  at 437 feet. The Cira Centre South to the left is scheduled to be completed in 2011 and reach 937 feet.

The Fisher Avenue Post Office, the other portion of the Fischer Avenue Post Office site the Post Office is planning on redeveloping.

The developer involved is Keating Building Corporation, according to Paul Wood, City Executive Officer. Keating Building Corporation are  construction managers of the $350 Million redevelopment of the 30^th Street Post Office site in downtown Philadelphia to house the Internal Revenue Service, and other government offices among other uses.

Wood said the city had two meetings with the General Post Office which showed the city some sketches of the plans. Wood described the plans for the development as “mixed use” and that we really don’t “have anything yet, it’s premature.” He described the developer as a specialist in working with the U.S. Post Office in developing  post-office owned sites. Wood said he did not have another meeting scheduled yet, but the concept is definitely in post office plans.  Height of buildings, number of buildings, and of course, uses are unclear at this time. Wood said the city would welcome the development.

Keating Building Corporation, a wholely independent subsidiary of the national construction giant, Perini Corporation, is currently the Construction Manager of the Cira Center post office redevelopment project in Philadelphia, scheduled to open in 2010. This project reshapes downtown Philadelphia, by renovating the historic 30^th Street Post Office building, and construct a skyscraper office complex, completing the Cira Center.  But a quick look at their website indicates this is easily the most prestigious developer White Plains has ever had the possibility of attracting.

For a video on the Cira Center, click on http://www.ciracentre.com/default2.html

For the Philadelphia Business Journal Report on the Cira Centre South project now underway go to http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2007/11/19/daily2.html

Keating Building Corporation describes itself on its website,  as

 a private company based in Philadelphia. It has a significant presence in many markets, but is most prominent in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. With in-house expertise in construction, environmental management, development and investments, The Keating Group possesses distinct advantages over other contractors and developers. Even clients who look to The Keating Group primarily for one particular type of service (for example, construction or development services) benefit greatly from The Keating Group’s wide-ranging expertise. And as a single source for a variety of specialized services, The Keating Group offers its clients and partners a large degree of project control that unquestionably filters through to the bottom line.

On the Keating website, www.keatingweb.com  you will learn that Keating Building Corporation has developed, builty or is building diverse  projects including: Bally Park Place Wild West Casino in Atlantic City; Lincoln Financial Field (Home of the Philadelphia Eagles),  the Philadelphia Eagles Practice facility, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Pittsburgh Casino and the Sugarland Casino in Pittsburgh.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. March 24, 2009:  WTNH-TV New Haven reported that dozens of New London High School students went on strike yesterday to protest the rumored firing of the New London High football coach who has been cited for breaking state of Connecticut school practice rules. . The outgoing  New London Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Christopher Clouet characterized the strike this way, according to WTNH-TV.

“There were a number of adults who acted in what I think was a shameful manner by manipulating the kids into doing this (the student strike),”  Superintendent of Schools Christopher Clouet is quoted as saying by WTNH. “I think that’s a shame but I want to say I think the kids handled themselves very well.”

Dr, Clouet will be the new Superintendent of Schools for White Plains starting in July. To see WTNH’s story, go to: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/news_wtnh_newlondon_coach_students_walk_200903231800_rev1

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 23, 2009: Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR today that he expects as this time 12 current employees will lose their jobs of the 51 positions being elimated to get the school budget for 2009-10 down to $185.9 Million. He said most of the positions affected will not be filled due to attrition, people leaving, going back to school, or retiring.

As of Monday afternoon, the Superintendent said 4 Clerical positions would eliminated, 20 Teaching Assistants, 3 Security Guards, and 20 Certified Positions (which he defined as any position requiring state certification, such as social workers, or teachers), and 4 Administrators. He declined to identify the Administrators who are currently employed. He estimated that about 12 persons total would actually lose jobs.

Asked if the district since it has determined these jobs did not have to be filled and could be eliminated whether the positions were not needed to begin with, Connors said, “They are needed. We are continuing at this time to minimize the impact (of such cuts) on the quality of education on the school district.”

He said the effort is continuing. He also said he urged persons currently employed in the district contemplating retirement or leaving the district for any reason to advise the administration so jobs could be saved now.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. Special to WPCNR. March 23, 2009 UPDATED 10:30 A.M. E.D.T.: Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson confirmed to WPCNR moments ago that the body of a woman, considered a homicide, who has been identified, was found in a home being renovated on Harmon Street in the vicinity of  School Street on Battle Hill late Sunday night. The Commissioner reports:

The White Plains Police are investigating an apparent homicide victim located in a house under renovation at 14 Harmon St. shortly before 10 p.m. last night. The identity of the female victim is known but not being released at this time.  As details become available for release, we will do so.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS.  By Assemblyman George Latimer. March 22, 2009: The print and electronic media of New York City has been focused,  non-stop, on the impending mass transit crisis ahead if the State Legislature (“Albany” in shorthand) does not approve the Ravitch Plan to bailout the MTA. That plan, has, as on its express track, a plan to  place tolls on East River and Harlem River bridges that have long been  free – the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queensboro Bridges, et.  al.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver offered a compromise plan, lowering  the prospective tolls from $5 to $2 to satisfy the outer borough  outrage, but as yet, some number of Senators and Assembly members are unconvinced. Their constituents abhor the toll plan. In return, the  editorial boards and columnists assert that only a reckless public official would risk mass transit calamity by fighting the toll plan.

In all of this, there is been a wilfull disregard for the impacts of the other, “forgotten” track of the MTA bailout – the imposition of a  payroll tax that would equally hit all employers throughout the MTA region, from Montauk in Suffolk County to Middletown in Orange County.

By calling this levy a “mobility” tax, the Ravitch Plan softens the sound but not the impact of the action. It assesses $0.33 on every $100. of payroll paid for every employer – including every school district, every local government, every hospital, every not-for-profit entity. The  rate appears to create a low impact. But for the New Rochelle School District it is an unfunded mandate of nearly $400,000; for the Mamaroneck School District, it is a $200,000+ charge. And not merely for  school districts: for all the employers mentioned, as well as every corporation and business large or small. At a time where some want to cap school taxes, others want to end County government, and all are outraged by the cost of rising property taxes, we are prepared to add yet one more burden that will increase our property taxes.

I spoke recently with the executive of a small business – under 20  employees – who said this is one more hit on his bottom line…and it may mean he will layoff an employee or two. His profit margins are minimal, and whatever the MTA may think, he can’t just absorb another uncontrolled cost. That’s exactly what we don’t need in this time when we are spending trillions to jump start the economy. Another business has spoken of picking up their operations and moving it a few miles east into Connecticut, beyond the reach of this and many other taxes. My Rockland and Orange colleagues face the same challenge in holding onto businesses who have the option of New Jersey on their doorstep. And  further: while it doesn’t affect my district, who can honestly say that the meager MTA service into Rockland and Orange Counties warrant this levy in equal proportion to those based in Manhattan? How can, in good conscience, Putnam and Dutchess employers feel connected to the MTA for their employees’ and customers’ “mobility” and therefore, an equal partner to a Wall Street firm in paying this tax?

If it must be that there is to be a payroll tax, then it should be graded by sub-regions within the MTA world. Manhattan corporations – the largest beneficiary of the commuter rail system in bringing their employees to market – should pay a proportionately higher rate, than  those from the suburbs. Local taxing entities – villages, towns, school
districts, small cities – should be exempted from the tax; if not, this payroll tax will quickly become one more element of higher property taxes when these governments prepare their budgets.

The legislators objecting to tolls have raised a very legitimate point, glossed over by their critics: who trusts the MTA’s numbers? Who believes they have done everything they can to reduce costs, scale back compensation, provide full transparency to their budgeting? Where is the independent audit that verifies their numbers? If we must act now, then sunset provisions for a year, subject to a full public audit. We can revisit the matter with the benefit of a full MTA audit before us.

There is no question that raising rates 30% and cutting back service is a draconian outcome for riders. But that is the threat offered by the MTA designed to make us subordinate any legitimate critique or concerns over their plan.

We are rolling down this forgotten track far too fast. We will live to regret these decisions made in the haste of the moment.