THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Council Likes Payment in Lieu of Units for Condo Affordable Housing Share

Posted on April 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. April 22, 2004: After a long presentation by Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, outlining an Affordable Home Ownership program that would require developers of condominiums to kick in cash instead of actual living units for affordable housing, the council got into heated debate over whether the city should make available more units for affordable housing, or create supplemental subsidies to enable residents to purchase their own condominiums and coops, or even land.

As the meeting closed, the Council agreed that developers of condominiums should be required to make a cash payment, not make available units, and conceded that they had to set a rate or fee per unit that future condo developers would have to pay.

Action would be delayed on the legislation until City Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy wrote a legal memorandium outlining the legal pitfalls and limites involved in requiring what Mr. Dunphy described to WPCNR as “Impact Payments.”

Louis Cappelli, who will be required on his 700 condominums to pay $1,050,000 for that cash payment noted that the city could turn that into $10,000,000 of mortgage leverage to help persons afford homes. Cappelli also said that if the city required payments of $150,000 a unit, that this was “a fantasy,” sayin no developer would consider that.

It was also reported by Susan Habel that the city is having more difficulty than expected in finding renters who are able to meet the credit requirements of owners on the affordable rental housing units being made available. Habel said that families of four making $74,400 (80% of median income) had more credit history problems than the city expected. Those that are being rejected by owners are being referred for credit counseling to aid them in presenting a more acceptable credit profile to owners. Habel said the city is working with those rejected for credit problems.

George Gretsas said that approximately 20% of affordable rental units have been rented so far. Susan Habel said she would get the exact number for WPCNR, but she did not have the numbers because they change daily.

Gretsas cautioned the Common Council not to get hung up and demanding too much payment for affordable housing of developers, pointing out that the city has built more affordable housing than any other community in Westchester County. Gretsas cautioned the Council “not to lose perspective.” He told WPCNR the city has built 200 affordable units of housing since 1997. Prior to that the city had built only one apartment building in 9 years and that was The Seasons, which was a luxury building.

Trump-i-Tect Unveils Cappelli Hotel Design. Approval In June. No Hotel Signed.

Posted on April 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. April 22, 2004: Costas Kondylis, the urban archectural legend, and Donald Trump’s high rise architect of choice, made a personal appearance Thursday evening to present the latest enchancements to the Cappelli Hotel Condoplex planned for Main Street. During the meeting, the Council saw Mr. Kondylis new “blue crystals,” as he called it, design for the Cappelli Three Towers on Main Street. The Council viewed Mr. Kondylis’ ground level solution for Main Street “open space,” that he said, provides a European open space ambience along Main Street showcasing Grace Church and the old Reporter Dispatch building.

At the conclusion of the evening, Councilperson Rita Malmud asked Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer, for a letter indicating he had a hotel concern under contract. Mr. Cappelli said he did not, but he was negotiating with two hotel chains at this time. Cappelli said the hotel was originally designed for a Westin. Asked who the two chains were by WPCNR, if one of them could be the Super Boss, Donald Trump, (who has toured Cappelli’s Main Street site has been known to build hotels and condominiums), Mr. Cappelli playfully said WPCNR has Trump on its mind, and that WPCNR had been “Trumpisized.”

THE TRUMP-I-TECT: Costas Kondylis, designer of Trump Tower, talks of the white, light blue, and dark blue glass that will highlight the three “blue crystals” of the Cappelli Three Towers on Main Street. Photo by WPCNR News

MAIN STREET AMBIENCE: Grace Church and the Reporter Dispatch Building would be naturally showcased by a diagonal cutback revealing Grace Church in the detailed Main Street side design unvieled by Mr. Kondylis Thursday evening. A single column would support the corner of the hotel and condominium tower. Pedestrians walking along the curved setback would gradually see the Church and Dispatch building revealed as they walked East on Main Street (top rendering). Photo by WPCNR News.

Over the next month, Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel said, the Cappelli organization would tighten up and coordinate the site plans based on the comments the Commissioners and Department Heads and various city boards submitted on the plans. This would allow the council sufficient time to see coordinated site plans in anticipation of approval in June, not at the May 3 meeting as originally requested by Mr. Cappelli.

Cappelli said this was not a problem, because the Longhitanos whom Cappelli is puchasing the Bar Building annex from, are getting approval to subdivide their property at this time, having just submitted it, he said. “We’re o.k.,” Cappelli said. Asked by WPCNR if he was negotiating on the Bar Building now, Cappelli said flatly there were no negotiations and that a “friendly silence” described the relationship between the two rival developers.

Design renderings for the Church Street side of the hotel (the main entrance) had not been completed yet and were forthcoming.

Kondylis said a landscape architect had been hired to create planting and open space design on the Church Street side. Bruce Berg, Louis Cappelli’s right hand man, said 23% of open space had been provided “on the ground” as requested by the Common Council.

Tom Roach chaired the meeting while Mayor Joseph Delfino was vacationing in Rumania, George Gretsas, the Mayor’s right hand man said.

Sculpture Garden Planned to Encircle White Plains Public Library. Artists Donate

Posted on April 23, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS ART NEWS. April 22, 2004: Commissioner of Recreation and Parks Arne Abramowitz introduced a pilot program featuring works of contemporary sculptors that would introduce a Sculpture Garden encircling three sides of the White Plains Public Library at the Common Council Special Meeting Thursday night.

SURROUNDED BY ART: Abramowitz said the program would be piloted for one year beginning in September with 15 sculptures selected by the New York Sculptors Guild and provided by the artists at no cost to the city. Photo by WPCNR Art News

Abramowitz said a color catalog presenting the artists and describing the works would be prepared for the public. The statues would be displayed on squares about the Library, would be underwritten by Eli Schonberger, and other arts organizations. The city, he said would undertake a liability policy which also would be underwritten by the arts groups sponsoring the program. Asked if the artists would give a commission on any works sold through the year’s display in White Plains, Mr. Abramowitz said they would not.

THUMBNAILS of Sculptures selected to bedisplayed in the squares surrounding the White Plains Library beginning September. Photo by WPCNR Art News.

WHITE PLAINS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY

Posted on April 22, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR ROVING PHOTOGRAPHER. April 22, 2004: The Roving Photographer has not been roving of late, but could not resist this shot of Tibbetts Park on North Broadway where the Cherry Blossom Festival sponsored by the White Plains Beautification Society will take place this Sunday, featuring artists and atractions celebrating of course the coming out of the cherry trees on the tranquil median on White Plains broadest, most famous boulevard.

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL By The WPCNR Roving Photographer