New Roc City complex opens in New Rochelle

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 29, 1999 by Lois Weiss

The ingredients brought together in New Rochelle are diverse, but somehow, with nary a real retailer in sight, the $190 million New Roc City complex manages to organize the urban entertainment package in a fresh and exciting way.

Take the streets of Universal Studios; add a pinch of Sportime USA; a scoop of frozen Central Park pond; stack it next to a graphically energizing Olympic Stadium rink which is overlooked by a fantasy carousel, a tot-sized helicopter ride and a round of virtual reality for all ages surrounding a centerpiece rocket to the highest point in the area; place it next door to an IMAX and a swarm of multiplexes; provide cheap family eats and a fitness center; plop in a hotel and small office tower; and then provide separate parking for its jumbo grocery store... Well, you get the general idea of New Roc.

Developed by New Roc Associates, a group that includes Robert M. Greene, Kenneth Narva and Capelli Enterprises, the 1.2 million square-foot development completely replaces the old New Rochelle Mall, both in design and spirit.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony in an outdoor courtyard on September 22nd was attended by Governor George Pataki, New Rochelle Mayor Timothy Idoni, Empire Development Corporation Chairman Charles Gargano and Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano, who welcomed the crowd.

Hot dogs, pretzels, peanuts and ice cream were provided to the several thousand invited guests that included plenty of children. To get the Sports Plus games going, guests were also provided with the credit card-like "Turbo Card" that keeps track of what is spent and can be refilled on return visits. Rather than each game spewing the usual mess of paper prize tickets, the card also tallies credits towards a full range of prizes.

All that entertainment, however, is not designed to fit a budgeting family's purse. The 235-foot Huguenot Tower Ride, for instance, costs $7. For that, you get 15 seconds worth of wishing for it to stop and then half a minute of increasingly lower bounces - none of which threatened to cause any stomach spillage.

It took longer to board, as passengers were stripped of glasses, beepers, cell phones, loose shoes, bags and cameras before being firmly strapped into one of a dozen open air seats and quietly swooshed up at 45 miles an hour for a blurry view of the Twin Towers and Long Island Sound.

There are height requirements for that and a few other rides, but a fanciful carousel with a dragon, zebra and chicken provides tamer and cheaper fun for all. There are even bumper cars. Most video-style games will cost between 50 cents and a few dollars.

There are birthday party packages, too, starting at $12.95 per person, which include invitations, pizza, soda, Carvel cakes, unlimited carousel rides, bumper cars, helicopters and time in a Kidz Zone area, plus a Turbo card filled with $4.

Weary game-players can find sustenance at the Galaxy Cafe. Other restaurants include Appleby's and Chevy's Fresh Mex, while a Breyer's old-fashioned ice cream shop concept, called the Authentic Cafe, is conveniently located near the easily accessed parking lot and movies.

The second floor Reunions, a grill and bar, and The Q Billiard Parlor and Bar, are geared towards more adult crowds.

The second floor also includes party rooms from which visitors can watch players and skaters below in the 50-foot high enclosed NHL-regulation hockey rink, with its red, white and blue "energizing" mural.

The Keel Cafe is quietly situated for hot chocolates and cider after taking a few turns around the free-form Central Park Skating Pond, which includes wrought iron railings, park benches and a mini-island in the center. Skate rentals are available.

Although there is room here and there for small shops and peddler-type carts that could sprout around the end of year holidays, this is not a place for a shopping excursion, as the closest thing to a retailer was the small chalet-styled Skatenation Lodge Pro shop.

The Super Stop & Shop is accessed through a different free parking lot, and parents can drop off older children at the entertainment facility. The hard part will be retrieving them, because they won't want to leave.

Bally's will also operate a separate 22,000 square-foot fitness facility, and the county's second Marriott Residence Inn will open in mid-October.

Trailed by security guards, aides, photographers and reporters, Governor Pataki and Chairman Gargano were very impressed as they were led on fast-paced tour of the facilities by Louis Capelli, chairman of the Valhalla-based Capelli Enterprises, which has $1 billion in projects either completed or in the tri-state area pipeline.

New Roc City is expected to visibly energize New Rochelle's downtown core with 1,000 full- and part-time jobs. Many of its expected 5.5 million visitors each year will be drawn by the unique Huguenot Tower Space Shot, the ride that pays homage to New Rochelle's French roots and acts as a tall, lighted sign. It will colorfully guide visitors from nearby I-95 and boaters from the Long Island Sound with its weather warnings and holiday colorations.