WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. By John F. Bailey June 30,2009: WPCNR learned today that once the Winbrook Rivitalization project is completed, it will be managed by the developer or developer(s) for the White Plains Housing Authority through a series of arrangements, according to Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel. Habel explained this, saying the details were yet to be worked out. She was responding to a question if the Housing Authority would manage and run the day-to-day operations, rentals, leasings of the new 1,100-unit public Housing, Affordable Housing, and Market Rate housing multi-use retail complex the zoning for which is up for approval by the Common Council next Tuesday evening.
This morning Gary Warshauer, the architect on the preliminary stage of the project present the first looks ever of how the new street ambience of The New Winbrook would look, (below), and residents were given an overview of how the project would proceed after expected Common Council approval of the Zoning changes, allowing the parking density and retail/mixed use zoning required to continue with the project. A Second presentation will be made this evening at 6:30 P.M at the Housing Authority.
Habel also said the developer would be selected from applicants ( about 30 have responded) by the Housing Authority with White Plains Common Council input, but that Housing Authority (and HUD) would have the final decision, Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel told WPCNR.
Habel told WPCNR last week that the Common Council would have final approval of the details on what construction was to be built, even after the zoning change needed to allow the construction was approved.
Habel, in response to a WPCNR question as to who would control/manage the completed development,said that the White Plains Housing Authority would most likely turn over management of the complex to the developer in a series of agreements yet to be ironed out. The Commissioner also told WPCNR that property owners on the Lexington Avenue side across from Winbrook were behind the zoning change and would possibly be eligible for funding for upgrading their properties. She did not elaborate on what those owners would be expected to do with their properties to complete the neighborhood makeover.
She told the audience of 17 residents, that the city was committed to similar street scaping and upgraded retail on the West Post Road portion, and that White Plains Hospital Center would perhaps be interested in the car dealerships not included in the area covered by the zoning change for medical offices.
She told WPCNR that the city had received $1,000,000 in funding from Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Schumer that Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti had planned to fund street scape upgrades on both sides of Lexington, but Habel said it was held off when the thought of upgrading all of Winbrook became a possibility. “It didn’t make sense to do the streetscaping that was going to be torn up by backhoes,” she said.
A second presentation of what the White Plains Housing Authority is planning for the revitalization of Winbrook is scheduled this evening at 6:30 P.M. at the Housing Authority at 223 Martin Luther King Boulevard.
The media were not informed of this morning’s presentation which saw Terri Walton, a consultant with the White Plains Housing Authority, Gary Warshauer,the architect consulting on the preliminary Winbrook Revitalization project, and City Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel address the audience.
What was learned was the city and the Housing Authority were going to make extraordinary efforts to seek resident input on the project, and there would be numerous opportunities to furnish input via e-mail, written comments, even taking photographs of the ambiences of Winbrook residents like that they wished included in the new project.
Corner of Quarropas and South Lex, would feathre 3 stories of retail fronting Quarropas, with a setback to the 15 story new residences for Public, affordable housing and market rate housing above.
The Retail “Look” for just a portion of the length of South Lexington. Typical entrance to the residences is at the right. Design, Warshauer emphasized was conceptual at this stage, subject to input from the residents in future months — pending approval of the zoning that makes it all possible.
Next steps to the Winbrook Revival (above), after Zoning Approval were discussed. The project is expected to be funded by the private developer to be selected by the Housing Authority, and received substantial funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and President Obama-injected stimulus money.
