WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. September 7, 2006: Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer of New Roc City in New Rochelle, City Center of White Plains, Trump Tower at City Center, now developing the Ritz Carlton White Plains, released a statement on the state of security in the White Plains downtown Tuesday evening. Taking with utmost seriousness letters sent WPCNR by persons who felt threatened because of encounters they had with surly young persons in the City Center, Cappelli told WPCNR, “We are all over it.”
Louis Cappelli, The Super Developer, told WPCNR in an interview Tuesday evening he will mingle in the crowds himself in the 9 PM to 1 AM hour to observe the night crowd atmosphere inside the Center and at the Renaissance Plaza Fountain at Main and Mamaroneck Avenues. Louis Cappelli is shown on a May walking tour on the Church Street side of the Ritz-Carlton White Plains hotel and condominiums he is building at 221 Main Street. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.
He said White Plains Police have never confirmed any gang presence in the City Center vicinity, as reported by letters to WPCNR and by observers confirming to this reporter youths hanging together and wearing subtle clothing markings. Mr. Cappelli stated in the three years of the City Center operation, there has not been an incident.
WPCNR asked Mr. Cappelli his reaction to the letter of one reader, BrendaL, which prompted several more letters confirming similar observations,
Mr. Cappelli: I think that cities that are growing, I think crowds gather, I think that with the fountain and hot summer nights that’s when the crowds really gather. I’m thinking that 3 millon have probably been through City Center the last two years. It’s been a pleasurable and enjoyable experience for 99.9% of them. I think some instances, maybe something like that could occur.
We certainly are going to look into it. We have security cameras that have filmed 24 hours a day in all of these areas (in the City Center), and none of them have shown this situation. We looked at the cameras Friday night and Sunday night, between 9 P.M. and 1 A.M. and nothing has shown. But, that doesn’t mean anything. We’re just going to make sure that everybody feels safe and comfortable, and we’re just going to get more vigilant to make sure everybody’s feeling good (about City Center).”
WPCNR: Are you going to increase the number of your security personnel?
Louis Cappelli: Probably. In the summertime, especially outside and all around a lot of people gather. It’s a gathering place for couples, families. Kids will be kids. We just have to control the kids. There certainly are tremendous amounts of families going to the movie theatre. Three of my executives live in City Center in condos in Trump Tower, and they were at the movies Friday 7 o’clock, Saturday at the 11 o’clock and Sunday, and they haven’t really had a bad experience. But we’re certainly going to be vigilant on this. (Regarding what security cameras show), I’m knocking on my head right now, there’s been no event of any nature in two and a half years.
Mr. Cappelli observed the cooperation between City Center and the city, saying
“We have good security. White Plains is providing good security, the police department’s great, and if there’s a hint here and there that we’ve certainly read about in this letter. We’ve been open since October, 2004, in two years, and this is the first letter you received.”
Rules Suggested.
WPCNR: The atmosphere described in the letter(s) appears to be a recent development.
Louis Cappelli: “I think that with more places to go, there’s more reasons to come to the downtown and I think that we have to stay vigilant that we’re a growing city, and we have to be cognizant of that. We’re encouraging people to come to the downtown and you can’t tell kids you can’t come. But we have to be vigilant to make sure that there’s rules for them. Rules for how they treat people, how courteous they are. A 13 year old to a 19 year old is a 13-year-old to a 19-year-old. Hopefully supervised, but we have to make sure they know there are rules.”
WPCNR: Is there anyone in your organization persons can contact to help you with incidents that occur.
Louis Cappelli: That’s what I’m trying to figure out. My people are going through all the tapes four 4 or 5 days we keep from 9 to 1 A.M. to see if this (the complaints) has any substance. Nevertheless, regardless of the fact we want to continue to make sure the experience of the restaurants, the shopping, the movies at City Center is a good, comfortable, safe experience, and that includes the downtown as we’re growing
Police Assure Cappelli There are no gang presences
Unruly young persons
WPCNR: To your knowledge then there has been no notice of quasi gang presence as described by some of the letter writers.
Louis Cappelli: Absolutely not. I stay three to four nights a week in Trump Tower and I haven’t experienced that. But we will certainly be vigilant.
WPCNR: What about say, groups of unruly young people?
Louis Cappelli: That doesn’t make a gang. That’s a different ball game. You’re asking me if it’s possible that there may unruly teens in the area, I’d answer yes, maybe. We supervise that. We’ve been open down in New Rochelle (New Roc City-a popular youth mecca) since September 1997 and we’re going to be there nine years. Never an incident in nine years.
I think the same thing holds true here. I’ve read the letter. I’m going to get into it, certainly with the city and my people, and we’re going to make sure that certainly in the area of the City Center and the Renaissance Fountain that the unruly hommes, that I’m not afraid to use that terminology, that there may be some unruly teens, I believe that’s possible and we’re going to go down and sort of harness the energy of these unruly teens and try to figure a way to supervise that situation.
(Cappelli enlisted the public’s help and suggested that persons should call his offices at 769-6500 to advise his staff confidentially of situations they encounter in the future, or, WPCNR would suggest, the City Center office on the premises at the time of any situations they believe should be reported.)
WPCNR: Does National Amusements in the City Center have a loitering policy?
Louis Cappelli: They’re doing $12 Million a year in that theatre. I will clearly ask them that question. It’s funny, John, you have 3 to 4 Million people a year go through some place and somebody, two or three or four people have a bad sense. We’re all going to react to it. But it’s certainly not, I don’t think, symptomatic of any place that’s unsafe. It’s symptomatic of a bit of unsupervised teens in the summertime. I think that’s all it’s about.
WPCNR: Have you talked to the Commissioner of Public Safety (Frank Straub) about this? (Dr. Straub and the Mayor of White Plains have not responded to WPCNR requests for their analysis of the real downtown situation)
Louis Cappelli: I haven’t. Bruce (Berg, Vice President of Cappelli Enterprises) talked to him today. I’m going to call Wednedsay because we’re all taking this very seriously, and go through it with them. The City of White Plains certainly is a good safe city. We care. You care. Everybody cares.”
Cappelli said he was going to meet with his security firm explore solutions, new techniques and rules and possible new policies in reaction to the public’s concerns.
Cappelli Enterprises released the following statement to the public Tuesday evening
Statement from Cappelli Enterprises Concerning Security At City Center and in the Downtown Area of White Plains.
As the owners of City Center and developers of several major real estate projects in downtown White Plains, we are always concerned about the safety and security of our shoppers, residents and visitors.
As is the case with any major retail and entertainment center, security for our guests is a priority. We main a professional and significant security presence at City Center and we take the responsibility for the safety of our gurests very seriously. We will continue to take all necessary steps to assure that the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the stores, restaurants, movies and entertainment offered at City Center feel safe and secure.
In the summertime, the number of people, especially young people that come to downtown and to City Center in particular increases dramatically. Therefore, we have added additional security inside our building to control the crowds.
With regard to public safety on the streets outside City Center, we work very closely with the White Plains Police Department, the Business Improvement District and City of White Plains officials to review current safety procedures and to implement appropriate measures to ensure that the streets are welcoming and secure for visitors.
Over the last several years downtown White Plains has enjoyed a dramatic increase in new and inviting activities and attractions, and there is much more to come. We are proud to have played a significant role in revitalizing the downtown area, and we will continue to actively work with the officials and the community as a whole to keep White Plains moving forward in a positive direction.
