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WPCNR 5 O’CLOCK LIGHTNING NEWS LEADER. UPDATED 7:05 PM E.D.T. By John F. Bailey. September 26, 2002: Cappelli Enterprises of Valhalla, developers of the City Center at White Plains confirmed today they have purchased the block from Church Street to Court Street on Main Street in White Plains for $16 million from Jon Halpern of Halpern Real Estate Development of Purchase.

VISION OF CAPPELLI: Louis Cappelli sees a 4-STAR HOTEL, 200-UNIT CONDOMINIUM & OFFICE BUILDING rising on the former Halpern property seen here looking West down Main Street, across the street from Mr. Cappelli’s City Center at White Plains, now going up. Mr. Cappelli has confirmed the closing on the property. Sources said the Condominium complex would overlook Hamilton Avenue.
Photo by WPCNR

The report was confirmed at 5:15 Thursday afternoon by Geoffrey Thompson, spokesman for Cappelli Enterprises.

Mr. Thompson said that Mr. Cappelli plans to have preliminary plans for the site to discuss with the White Plains Common Council within 30 days. Thompson said that in Mr. Cappelli’s remarks to him that Mr. Cappelli is planning a 4-Star Westin Hotel for the site, plus a residential/office condominium complex.

Thompson added that Cappelli would mostly like take the whole block from Church Street to the Court Street extension, which includes the former RKO Theater, and a string of retail outlets, plus the 299 Main Street building. The Grace Church will not be touched. A city hall source said that Cappelli has reached an amicable accommodation with the Church. The air rights over Grace Church are included in the ownership of the Halpern acquisition.

MAYOR JOSEPH DELFINO WELCOMES HOTEL PLAN: “Attracting a first class hotel to this site in our downtown has been a major component of my economic development plan and today’s news will hopefully bring us one step closer to achieving that dream. There obviously is a lot of work and detail to be considered and I look forward to beginning the process,” said Mayor Delfino in a statement from City Hall upon learning of the Cappelli prize.
File Photo by WPCNR

Boykin impressed with Cappelli Investment.

Council President Benjamin Boykin contacted WPCNR to advise us of the purchase, and said it
seems like an exciting project, saying “it is wonderful that this man is going to invest another $300 million in our city.” Boykin indicated he would reserve judgment until hearing of the developer’s plans, but was excited on hearing the news of Cappelli’s purchase today.

Thompson Recalls Halpern’s Thoughts on White Plains Development.

Reflecting on the former Halpern plan for the site which was presented in the 1980s which envisioned two office towers 221 Main and 301 Hamilton, Thompson said, Cappelli’s plans will be completely different.

Thompson added though that Mr. Halpern was prophetic. Thompson recalls Halpern remarking that there was no point in going ahead until the Macy’s property future was determined, calling it “the lynchpin” of the center of White Plains.

Thompson told WPCNR “that is exactly what has happened, the City Center is the seed for new growth.”

Speaking of the City Center, Mr. Cappelli’s signature development in White Plains, Thompson described it as exactly on schedule with the foundations for the second residential tower being set in place. Thompson said Cappelli is rolling out the towers in sequence with the North Tower going up first and the second Tower to follow.

The price for the Halpern block of $16 million according to Thompson is $1 million less than Cappelli paid for the Macy’s property ($17 Million) when he purchased it from Tishman-Speyer in 2001, and proceeded to create the City Center, which was approved by the Common Council September 5, 2002.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. CORRECTION September 27, 2002: The Department of Public Works and the Parking Authority are still exploring scenarios on procedures in snow emergencies in the Old Mamaroneck Road “Overnight Parking Test Zone,” should the city decide to go ahead with the plan for allowing overnight paid parking at that location, the Common Council learned Wednesday night.

COUNCIL HEARS FROM SUSAN HABEL ON THE HIGHLANDS AREA PARKING GAP: Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, in foreground briefs council on the 366 space gap said to exist in the Old Mamaroneck Road corridor in the Highlands Wednesday evening. The figure of 466 in yesterday’s first edition was erroneously stated in the meeting.
Photo by WPCNR

Consequently passing of the test ordinance will be delayed until at least November, and the public hearing continued October 7.

The council also learned principals behind the planned luxury apartment tower, The Hamilton, do not have their equity financing lined up.

The Overnight Parking Test Trauma

Mayor Joseph Delfino informed the council with gravity, “We need another month” to work out policies of how to handle cars parked overnight during snow emergencies. The issue has been raised as a result of the Common Council consideration of a plan proposed by Councilman William King to allow a one-year test of overnight paid parking along Old Mamaroneck Road in the Highlands.

The Mayor pointed out that the policy to date has been to plow cars on the street in, but that the issue was still being agonized over by the Departments of Public Works, Traffic and the Parking Authority. The Mayor mentioned that the Parking Authority is preparing an extensive report opposing the plan, and so is the Traffic Department.
Highlands Hisses

A Highlands resident, Cary Gouldner, reported the Highlands Civic Association Board has by majority vote, gone on record as opposing the overnight parking test, and said the Association would speak at the October 7 Public Hearing on the Test Ordinance.

Mayor Delfino noted that the Planning Department had identified a 366-space parking shortfall (not 466 as previously reported, the number was misstated at the meeting) in the area in order to have one parking space per living unit, and highlighted his main concern: persons now parking overnight in city parking areas with permits, would allow their permits to expire, thinking they could park overnight on the street more inexpensively. The Mayor said the spaces to be created would not handle all the persons who perhaps would allow their overnight permitted parking permits to expire.

“Where do those people go (when the onstreet parking is used up)?” the Mayor asked. He suggested they would park illegally overnight on Greenridge Avenue.

But, the Mayor said “I’m not here to debate the issue.”

Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning confirmed Friday that the actual parking space gap in the Highlands is 1,400 parking spaces, in order to have 2 parking spaces per vehicle.

The Hamilton Still Looking for Equity.

Edward Dunphy, Corporation Counsel for the city, informed the Common Council that it was the city’s recommendation to extend the Special Permit to build The Hamilton, a luxury apartment complex on Church and Barker Avenues for only three months, pending The Seltzer Group, owners of the rights finding the rest of their financing. Dunphy said the group had their capital loan in place from GMAC, but was looking for “equity holders” to put together the rest of the financial package. It is expected the permit will be extended until January.

Grant Writer Position to be Created.

Susan Habel spoke to the Council about a new position to be created within the Urban Renewal Agency, that of Grant Coordinator Capacity Builder. The position was spearheaded by Councilman Glen Hockley in his campaign for council last year, and Mr. Hockley was pleased at the decision to establish such a position. “It takes the (financial) burden somewhat off of the taxpayer,” he said.

Ms. Habel advised that the position would pay approximately $47,000 to $63,000. She said that the city and the school district could not reach an agreement on sharing the position, but the city had decided to add the position anyway.

Nicoletti reports Eastview fields on schedule.

Joseph Nicoletti, Commissioner of Public Works, reported that work on the Eastview track would begin October 4 and a new track, approximately ¼ of a mile and a soccer field just shy of adult regulation field dimensions, would begin to be created shortly. He said he expected the track to be completed by January and the soccer field to be in playing condition by May, 2003. He remarked that the other Eastview fields being renovated were completed with a soccer field, a baseball field with 90-foot bases, and a softball/little league field with 60 foot baselines were now ready for play.

Nicoletti said the cost of renovating the playing fields and the track was $250,000, with $120,000 going to the two ballfields and soccer field, and the cost of the track and soccer field, $130,000, the cost of the track being approximately $50,000.

In other news…

The council was given a detailed explanation of the proposed transfer of development rights zoning proposal to study so the Planning Department proposal could be discussed in depth in October.

The council said it would consider passing the agreement to lease the Dellwood Property at its October 7 meeting for a nominal fee to follow county approval of the Pettinichi Property purchase that must precede the city acquiring the Dellwood property from the county for a passive park.

Mr. Nicoletti described exterior improvements to Fire Stations the city would be making at the Highlands Station, Ferris Avenue No. 2 and the Ridgeway Station at a cost of $500,000. The Highlands station would receive new windows, Ferris Avenue, no bathroom fixtures and floor sealings, and Ridgeway a repaving of the parking lot and interior floor seals. Nicoletti noted that the Highlands Station was the newest fire station, built in 1951, and that the headquarters and three other active facilities date back to 1911.