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WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. Statement From the Westchester County Association. June 2, 2009: The Westchester County Association (WCA)-the area’s preeminent business membership advocacy group- today said that the New York State Senate will hold consideration of the Commercial Assessment Ratio Bill (A.4588A-Bradley/S.1706-AOppenheimer) until it receives input from  a special private meeting  that the WCA will have with representatives from the county’s commercial real estate industry on Wednesday.

 

Bill Mooney, Executive Director of Westchester County Association, far right, Alfred Del Bello, second from left, with County Executive Andrew Spano, far left, and developer Robert Weisz at a May 7 news conference. WPCNR News Archive Photo

 
The bill, which passed the New York State Assembly last week, applies only to Westchester and affects commercial property as well as many multi-family residential properties in the County. Al DelBello, WCA Chair, stated, “It would increase the tax burden to many business properties, which will add to the already fragile business climate in the County.  If businesses are unable to remain viable, their exodus will have major negative consequences for all taxpayers.”
 

William M. Mooney, Jr., WCA President, noted “Over the last several days, our office has received numerous calls from business leaders seeking the WCA’s assistance in stopping this measure from passing. If it becomes law, it will cost commercial real estate owners and their tenants hundreds of millions of dollars in additional property taxes which will have a devastating impact on our economic vitality, something we can ill afford, especially in this climate.”
 
He said that there will be a meeting of the key area’s developers, corporate facility managers, property owners and a wide spectrum of others in the commercial real estate industry on Wednesday morning at the WCA offices.  The delay in voting by the Senate will give the WCA an opportunity to convey the message from this meeting to the Westchester delegation.
 
Mooney continued: “We are deeply disappointed by the hasty vote in the Assembly and are appreciative of the Senate willingness to wait so that Westchester’s commercial real estate can be fully heard on a matter of this magnitude.  Minimally, we would have thought the Assembly would have come to us and enabled us to give the commercial real estate industry an opportunity to be fully heard. We look forward to quickly sharing the recommendations with the Senate that will result from this meeting. We are hopeful that the Senate will not follow in the footsteps of the Assembly and defeat this ill conceived bill that singles out our county with an onerous tax burden.”
 
Al DelBello added, “The WCA is continuing its strong advocacy role on behalf of the Westchester businesses and taxpayers.  We took strong exception to the punitive MTA payroll tax recently passed and seriously hope that our elected officials in the Senate will take this opportunity to listen to what the taxpayers are saying and not pass this current legislation.”

 

 

WPCNR STAGE DOOR. WPCNR Interview with John Ioris Chair of the White Plains Performing Arts Center Foundation. June 2, 2009: One Enchanted Evening, the first White Plains Performing Arts Center fund-raiser in two years gave the beleagured White Plains city theatre a fresh start last night, raising according to its Foundation Chair, over $50,000 towards next year’s season.

 

HONOREES AT WPPAC ONE ENCHANTED EVENING GALA : (L to R, Event Co-Chair Ann Bernstein, Honoree Isabel Villar, Honoree Marsha Gordon, Event Co-Chair, Susan Egginton, Honorees Barbara and Richard Dannenberg, and WPPAC Chairman John J. Ioris. Photo, Courtesy, White Plains Performing Arts Center

 

 John Ioris, right, and Jack Batman,left. WPCNR News Archive

 

John Ioris, the Chair, indicated that the WPPAC’s Executive Producer, Jack Batman would continue to be the driving creative force as the theatre moves forward, and that the number and scope of the fall season productions depended on further fundraising efforts. Ioris tentatively held out hope the current season ending would produce the theatre’s first surplus.

 

 

The $125 a ticket benefit held at the WPPAC opposite the White Plains Common Council meeting, filled the theatre close to capacity with a last minute walk-up sale according to John Ioris interviewed by WPCNR today. Ioris called the show produced by Executive Producer Jack Batman and featuring a luminescent lineup of Broadway stars and WPPAC performers a fabulous production.

 

He said receipts were still being counted from the last minute sales, the silent auction receipts, and raffle as of this morning. Irosis and estimated the benefit’s handle to be $50,000 plus. The 2009 Mercedes Benz C300 Sport Sedan was not given away, Ioris said,  because the 1,300 Raffle Ticket threshold (at $50 each) needed to present the motor car  was not reached.

 

Yes, there will be a 09-10 Season

 

Ioris said the Executive Committee for the Foundation would meet next week to strategize on what kind of productions will be produced in the 2009-10 season for the theatre. Ioris said the theatre was wrapping up its books on the current year and thanks to the Gala, and the savings achieved by postponing the last production of the current season, Hello, Dolly!, the theatre may show a surplus for the current year – which would be the theatre’s first “profit.”

 

Ioris, commenting on the upcoming Executive Committee meeting said of the fall season, “ We have to make sure it fits our business model (financially), in the number of shows produced and the size of shows.” and the schedule will be announced “a few months out.”

 

Batman Returns

 

Asked if Jack Batman, the architect of any success the theatre has had in its six years, would return in a producing role, Ioris said , “he’s still here. He’s never really been out of the picture, and he’ll be directly involved in planning the new fall season.”

 

Ioris did not indicate what Batman’s official title would be moving forward or elaborate on his role.

 

Foundation Presses On Running the Theatre. City Contract Runs 4 More Years

 

WPCNR asked if the city had any plans to relieve the current foundation as operators of the theatre. The White Plains Performing Arts Center Foundation as a contract with the city to operate the WPPAC for four more years (having a ten year contract awarded in 2003).

 

Ioris said, “We’re  going to be around a long time. We’re not going anywhere.”

 

Cue Dolly

 

 Ioris said “we’re currently figuring how and when we are going to produce Hello, Dolly!  Refunds for season subscribers and ticket purchasers had been offered on the show when it was postponed officially two weeks before its opening scheduled for April 30. The theatre had asked subscribers to not ask for refunds to support the theatre and at assured them the show would be eventually produced at a future date.  

 

Ioris praised the work of Ann Bernstein and Susan Egginton as Co-Chairs for their work in making the gala a fiduciary hit for the theatre. “They did a terrific job,” Ioris told The CitizeNetReporter. “Subscribers came out and supported us. They were throwing checks to us at the door. They supported us.”

 

Ioris promised more fundraising efforts in the near future, saying the WPPAC is looking to raise a $500,000 budget.

 

  

Monday evening’s soiree honored Barbara and Richard Danneberg, Dr. Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester and Isabel Villar, Founding Executive Director of El Centro Hispano, Inc.

 

The entertainment was followed by an After Party at the 42 Restaurant, hosted by Chef Anthony Goncalves.