DECEMBER 2–COUNCIL APPROVES $50 MILLION SALE OF CITY OWNED GALLERIA GARAGES APPROVES REZONING GALLERIA PROPERTY AS TRANSIT DISTRICT 2. SITE PLAN TO COME | 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.

SOLD FOR $50 MILLION

MAYOR TOM ROACH, COUNCILMAN JOHN MARTIN AND COUNCILWOMAN JEN PUJA SAY FAIRWELLS.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. December 2, 2025:

The Common Council enabled the Galleria City rebuild of the former Galleria Mall to go forward last night with all Councilmembers lauding the project as necessary for the city to grow in the future.

The council approved selling the city-owned garages to LCOR the developer for a sum of $50 Million to be financed, and leased back for a 3 year period.

Councilman (and Mayor Elect) Justin Brasch said the demolition of the garages would cost the city 25 to 30 Million dollars, which the developer will now pay. Brasch remarked the city was assured of more affordable housing units than first provided by previous plans, and 40% more open space and that now it was time to “move on to the site plan.”

Councilman John Martin said the approval of the sale of the garages , in addition the city was offering the developer a density bonus, providing the new project with incentives for proving more affordable housing and allowing higher occupancy buildings in return for more affordable housing units.

Councilwoman Jen Puja noted the developer has agreed to a Project Labor Agreement that would include union and local contractors on the project.

Council President Victor Presser noted it had taken 2 years to get to this compromise, but emphasized there is “more to do” to decide what should be on that site. She said “without this rezoning, the project is dead.”

Councilman Jeremiah Frie-Pearson stressed the new Galleria would be a $2 billion project and would greatly benefit the residents of the city.

Councilman Richard Payne said the go-ahead on the project was “in the best interests of the city,” but cautioned this agreement was a “Memorandum of Understanding, and “there was more to be negotiated.

At the beginning of the Council Meeting, John Martin Jen Puja and Mayor Roach announced they were leaving the Common Council, Mr. Martin after 14 years,Ms.. Puja to move into higher office as County Legislator for District 5 and the Mayor as newly elected County Clerk. You can hear their final addresses in the first 15 minutes of the video of last night’s council meeting at

https://whiteplainsny.new.swagit.com/videos/362255

In a public hearing on the new garage for White Plains Hospital, after several townspeople expressed concern that there was not adequate public parking on Post Road for the residences along East Post Road, and hoped the public would be able to park in the new 8-story garage planned, William Null the Chairman of the Board of White Plains Hospital said there would be no public parking allowed in the new garage. He said 180 spaces would be reserved for residents of Brookfield Commons, a White Plains Housing Authority site, (now about to begin its third rebuild at 159 Lexington, with two more to go).

The Council closed the public hearing of the Hospital garage and approved the project.