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)

City Center South Condoplex Renaissance Classy, Toney, Elegant.

Posted on March 17, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR Talk of City Center. By John F. Bailey. March 17, 2004 UPDATED With New Photo Composite, 4:30 P.M E.S.T. : Cappelli Enterprises, as promised to WPCNR, started up construction on the Townhouse building on City Place Wednesday morning, adjacent to the City Center and the soon-to-be 34-story “house of elegance,” across City Place, the South Condoplex. In recognition of the return to construction today, Cappelli’s architect, Costis, Kondylis Partners of New York, architects of Trump World Tower in Manhattan, have released the new design of the southern citadel.

THE SOUTH CONDOPLEX TODAY: Just at the 9-floor mark, the Southern condominium has completed its interior and exterior redesign by Costis Kondylis and, according to Bruce Berg of Cappelli Enterprises construction on what Louis Cappelli, “The Super Developer,” promises to make the premier address in the county. Construction had been suspended for some six weeks to reconfigure engineering changes, floor plan changes to rearrange the infrastructure of the plex and to enhance the exterior. The picture that follows shows how the new building will look. Photo by WPCNR News

RENAISSANCE! at City Center on Martine Avenue. As promised by Louis Cappelli, the Costis, Kondylis “Trump Touch” has added taller windows with a bronze hue, a rich, beige facade, and intriguing setbacks on the south side. The building on the left is the 11-story Townhouse condominium, and a portion of ” The Bridge” from the City Center Garage to City Center is seen between the two renderings. Photo, Courtesy, Cappelli Enterprises.

SIDE BY SIDE: One City Place at City Center (left), as it appeared Wednesday morning, viewed from Renaissance Plaza, compared to the new design of, perhaps what will be Two City Place, lovingly enhanced and “Trumped” by Costis, Kondylis Partners of New York. Photo on left by WPCNR News. Photo, right, courtesy, Cappelli Enterprises.

Council Disposes of FEIS comments. Findings Statement Next on Cappelli Hotel.

Posted on March 17, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR Common Council Chronicle. March 17, 2004: Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel walked the Common Council through the six letters of comment received since the hearing on the Final Environmental Impact Statement was closed two weeks ago at the Tuesday evening work session at City Hall. After the Council agreed on the language they wanted, Commissioner Habel said a draft Findings Statement would be available by next Wednesday’s work session.

The most significant development was Louis Cappelli’s request in a letter of March 12, requesting a 7 year period following completion of the hotel/condominium project “to market and commence construction of the office building, after which time the environmental approval for the office building would have to be reconfirmed.” The council agreed to this. Bruce Berg’s letter requesting this said that if construction of the office building had not begun the time the hotel/condominium is occupied, then a landscaped plaza inthe office building area would be created.

Susan Habel told WPCNR that the Findings Statement would be presented at the April 7 meeting, with an expected vote on the Cappelli hotel project possible in May.

Bensidoun USA to run International Farmers Market for City in City Hall Lot

Posted on March 17, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR City Hall Circuit. By John F. Bailey. March 17, 2004, UPDATED March 17, 2004, 12:30 P.M. with correction: Tuesday night, the Downtown Business Improvement District and the administration introduced the national “French Market” specialists, Bensidoun USA, Inc., of Chicago as the firm that will create a new Farmer’s Market in White Plains in June.

Sebastien Bensidoun, Executive Vice President, (foreground) introduced his firm to the Common Council during Tuesday evening work session. Paul Wood, Economic Development Director corrected WPCNR’s understanding of the payment arrangement. He said Mr. Bensidoun’s firm would pay the city a nominal fee of $1,000 for the service of marketing the farmer’s market, which includes custom, homogenous booths with roofs, managing the market, and booking vendors. Last year’s vendors would be given preference on the first year’s operation. Wood said, “Basically, their services are free to the City except for the labor for setup and breakdown of the structures on market days which the BID will provide.” Photo by WPCNR NEWS

NEW LES HALLES IN WHITE PLAINS. The City Hall Private Parking Preserve will be cleared of cars Wednesdays and Saturdays and festooned with colorful awnings and booths of a Bensidoun USA “French Market” come June. City Hall is at right. Photo by WPCNR News

The site of the market, previously thought to be on Court Street by Macy’s, would move from Court Street to the city hall parking lot, a solution suggested by City Hall employees.

Mayor Delfino said the reason the famer’s market had to move was a new project for developing Court Street along the Macy’s corridor would be presented to the Common Council at next Wednesday evening’s work session, which dictated that the Farmer’s Market be moved from the Court Street Area. Pressed as to the “Mystery Developer” bringing in the project, the Mayor said it was not Louis Cappelli or Leon Silverman.

Mr. Bensidoun said present vendors at the Farmer’s Market would be giving discount pricing, paying about $30 for a stall, with new vendors being charged $40. For more on the scope and expertise of Bensidoun, they have a website at http://www.bensidoun-usa.com/.

BENSIDOUN V.P. SHOWCASED his line of French Markets with a slide and webshow. His markets have been highly successful in the Chicago area and around the country over the last five years. However, he admitted his company still has not turned a profit. White Plains will be his first entry into the New York metropolitan area. The firm sets up booths, supplies a manager who maintains order and decorum and enforces the rules. Vendors are not given contracts. In Wheaton, Illinois, one of 9 sites around the Chicago area, Bensidoun has 90 vendors in one market. Photo by WPCNR News

Mystery Donor Pledges $1 Million to FIRECLOCK Sculpture in Renaissance Plaza

Posted on March 17, 2004 by John Bailey

WPCNR ART NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 16, 2004: The Common Council was introduced to a portable sculpture “The FireClock” Tuesday evening intended to grace Renaissance Plaza. They liked it and moved, 5-2 (Bernstein, Boykin, Greer, Hockley, and Mayor Delfino concurring, Malmud and Roach demurring), to authorize $60,000 in seed money from Urban Renewal Funds to have its creator, Gayil Nalls undertake a feasibility study of the work of art.

“FireClock” is an original work combining fire and time “unlike anything else in the world” created by Gayil Nalls, the creator of “The Universal Scent” confetti that rained on Times Square at the turn of the millenium.

FIRECLOCK By Gayil Nalls. A computerized conception of FIRECLOCK installed on the Renaissance Plaza fountain. The clock portion of the sculpture is the concentric circles at far left. The clock will tell time by the use of flames with hours indicated on the exterior circle, and half-hours on the interior circle, with flames popping out for each hour of the day. In the evening, on the half-hour, pedestrians will see flame shows set to music and what Ms. Nalls describes as “sounds of the universe.” The flames will pop out and die, and appear to race along the swoop and dip of the gold ribbons in time to the music. Photo by WPCNR News

The sculpture was introduced by the Mayor’s Executive Officer, George Gretsas, warning that all art engenders controversy. He said it is intended to be installed over the Renaissance Plaza Fountain during the months of November through April, when the water fountain is dormant for the winter.

The sculpture purpose, Ms. Nalls said, is to attract persons to view its “fireclock” that will use flames to tell the time, in halfhour increments 24 hours a day. The flame jets in the ribbon tracks, 6 inches wide, she said will thrill crowds with flame shows in the evening. The flames dancing and racing along its graceful roller coaster ribbons in dazzling sequence in time to music and sounds of the world and the universe, according to Ms. Nalls

FIRECLOCK in nightime, showing the FIRE CLOCK indicating 12:30 at night. Flames are created from natural gas and are are issued from jets with the metal ribbons. You can see the flames in this rough computer-conception racing on the “Flameway” at far right. Ms. Nalls said the sculpture is designed to be removed during the summer months from April through October, and installed again in November to provide a tourist attraction in the dreary winter months. Photo by WPCNR News

Ms. Nalls created the work on speculation at the request of the Mayor’s Office, and will create the sculpture for a cost of $1 Million to $1.5 Million dollars, which will be defrayed by the generosity of an anonymous donor who has pledged $1 Million towards the project.

There was no indication when the sculpture could be installed, because it is still in the concept stage.

The Sculptoress Explains the FIRECLOCK (on easal) To learn more about the artist, visit her website at http://www.worldsensorium.com/Photo by WPCNR News.

Glen Hockley was impressed with the sculpture and enthusiastic. Robert Greer found it very interesting, and likened it to the “Firewall” in Providence, Rhode Island attraction that draws massive crowds in Providence in the summers. Benjamin Boykin said he did not know what to think about it, but was willing to do the feasibility study. Arnold Bernstein was intrigued. Tom Roach and Rita Malmud were against even studying it. Malmud said dryly the Renaissance Plaza was not the place for it, and Roach said firmly the scope was too big, and the money could be better spent on Ebersole Rink.

Eli Schonberger, observing, spoke up saying FIRECLOCK would be a drawing card that would bring people to the city, and told of a museum that once installing a sculpture drew 10,000 persons in three weeks. He said the sculpture would be an attraction that would mark White Plains as a place that cared about art.

Mayor Delfino said the city had no art and the sculpture would be an attraction and make a statement about the city.

Ms. Nall said that she has not showcased her FireClock to any other cities as of yet, but if White Plains did not wish to go ahead after the Feasibility Study, she would offer it to other cities and organizations. She said she had done a patent research on the concept, and had found nothing that remotely resembles it. It is, she feels, truly unique and marries the concept of fire and time.

Currently, Ms. Nalls is finishing a video piece designed for projection in a spherical plexiglass globe, known as an “Omniglobe,” that will be showcased at the Siggraph Convention, a technological graphic artists convention.