Final approval granted to White Plains project

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 9, 2002

Cappelli Enterprises has received final approval to build the City Center at White Plains, a $300 million City Center that will rise on the site of the former Macy's department store in the heart of the city's downtown. The project will include two 34-story residential towers and a 540,000 SF retail, movie, and restaurant complex.

Demolition of the Macy's store has been completed and excavation has started for the new mixed-use residential, entertainment, and retail complex. When completed, City Center will cover a full square block.

Where Macy's conducted business for 50 years, Cappelli Enterprises is creating an architecturally stunning complex that will include 580 one and two-bedroom luxury rental apartments in the towers and 20 additional loft-style apartments in an adjacent building.

City Center at White Plains will include 395,000 SF of general retail space, an 80,000 SF, 15-screen National Amusements multiplex theater, and 55,000 SF of restaurant space. The commercial space will be directly accessible from the sidewalks of Mamaroneck Avenue, Main Street, and Martine Avenue, a key design consideration intended to avoid the feeling of a "closed-in mall." Cappelli has also proposed creating a 10,000 SF community performing arts center on the site.

The residential component of the project is a significant part of the revitalization effort in downtown White Plains. One tower will rise along Main St., the other along Martine Ave. A low-rise building reminiscent of SoHo artist lofts will feature 20 loft-style apartments with 12-foot ceilings.

A key element of the Cappelli proposal is the creation of an extensively landscaped pedestrian plaza on the site of what is today E.J. Conroy Drive, a street linking Main St. with Martine Ave. The present through street will be closed and the area converted into a plaza including landscaped gardens, fountains, outdoor dining, and a winter ice skating rink.

A new $37 million parking garage with 2,370 spaces is also planned as part of the project. The new garage will be built on the site of the current city-owned Mamaroneck- Martine garage. The city and Cappelli will jointly finance the new garage, with the city contributing $23 million and Cappelli $14 million.

Louis R. Cappelli, president of Cappelli Enterprises, said that the City Center will generate $119 million in new net revenues each to the city and county, and $201 million in new revenues to the state over 25 years.

The 328,000-SF Macy's store was a retail fixture in White Plains and Westchester from the time it first opened in 1949. In 1996 Macy's relocated to The Galleria Mall two blocks away and the old store remained empty until its demolition.

Construction of City Center is expected to take about 20 months.