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I've lived in White Plains for 5 years now, they knocked down whatever remained of an old car dealership and a house on that big lot between Maple and Post, stuck a construction contractor trailer on it, and haven't done much with it since. I commute past it every day and wonder what the heck they're going to do with it and am always surprised on how little information I can find on it.
Redevelopment plans in the city are also being discussed and configured at the other end of the Post Road, at the former Sholz-General Motors auto dealership, which closed in 2009. New York City-based Grid Properties Inc. is proposing a 230,000-square-foot open-air mall tentatively called The Boulevard for the razed showroom at 77 W. Post Road near the Maple Avenue intersection.
GRID does not appear to be sharing the details of their proposed development "The Boulevard" if they have as yet determined the details. There stated probable completion of the end of 2016, hardly seems likely.
It is quite obvious to me that White Plains does not need another shopping center. There are effectively 4 malls already in town and numerous other commercial storefronts on the cities major arteries. There are also more large stores in towns close by, particularly on Tarrytown Road. In addition, there is a large area of the same Post Road several blocks away to the north with MULTIPLE empty store fronts, suggesting that the city has more than reached its appropriate level of retail development. There are only so many shoppers that are going to come into the city. Should the GRID project be built and actually succeed, one would not be surprised to see a further decline of other retail sections of the city, including perhaps the Galleria. If it did not succeed, it would undoubtedly become a major eyesore that would detract from an otherwise pretty attractive town.
The previously built GRID projects have been flashy, urban structures that do not fit in with the context of this section of the Post Road, and, in my opinion, with the area's suburban context. And plans for another Gym? You have to be kidding!
So what do you do with the land? What makes more sense? Given the current construction plans in the city, it is unclear if another large, luxury apartment development is workable at this time. An affordable housing project might make a bit more sense, especially given the nature of the surrounding community. And it would meet an important need for the somewhat less prosperous residents in White Plains. It is a large, thin space which should allow for open park space around the area as well. This is an option that the city might want to consider.
My understanding is that the City is pushing for residential to be added to the project along Maple Ave and that the developer wasn't completely onboard with that. Not sure where that leaves it or if negotiations are ongoing...but I remember reading that somewhere.
That does seem like a weird place to put an outdoor mall. Drivers coming from 287 or Tarrytown Road would have to pass through downtown, including dealing with traffic in front of the hospital and the county courthouse. Why would anyone bother with that when they could just go to City Center or the Galleria?
The only neighborhoods from which that site would be a convenient trip are directly along Route 22. But Route 22 already has a big upscale retail strip in Eastchester.
The million dollar grant issued to the city by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERTA) will be used to look at better ways to integrate the transit connections at the station to downtown, create a walkable pedestrian friendly environment, and better integrate the different modes of transportation around the train station, says Gomez.
From a pedestrian perspective, the "dead zone" of parking garages and office blocks that separates Mamaroneck Avenue from the train station is the weak link in the White Plains streetscape. It'll be interesting to see what happens with this grant.
I was looking at a very old picture, possibly from the 1910s or earlier, of the Main and Mamaroneck Ave intersection. The enlarged, colorized picture is on the wall at the TD Bank branch on Mamaroneck Ave. Prominent in the photo is a streetcar with accompanying streetcar tracks that once ran through the middle of Main Street. The tracks are, of course, indented into the pavement so that other forms of transportation can use the same space when the streetcars are not there. A resurrection of some variation on this concept might be a means to bridge these 2 areas. The dead zone is comprised in large part by very substantial buildings of recent vintage that are not going to go away. Perhaps some kind of light rail transportation system could be used there as a kind of shuttle to connect the station with the shopping area. Such a system might connect other parts of town to each other such as, for example, the tavern district, The Westchester/Whole Foods, and White Plains Hospital, perhaps in one large loop. Any plan would have to take into account the large amounts of traffic that can back up near, for instance, City Hall.
I was looking at a very old picture, possibly from the 1910s or earlier, of the Main and Mamaroneck Ave intersection. The enlarged, colorized picture is on the wall at the TD Bank branch on Mamaroneck Ave. Prominent in the photo is a streetcar with accompanying streetcar tracks that once ran through the middle of Main Street. The tracks are, of course, indented into the pavement so that other forms of transportation can use the same space when the streetcars are not there. A resurrection of some variation on this concept might be a means to bridge these 2 areas. The dead zone is comprised in large part by very substantial buildings of recent vintage that are not going to go away. Perhaps some kind of light rail transportation system could be used there as a kind of shuttle to connect the station with the shopping area. Such a system might connect other parts of town to each other such as, for example, the tavern district, The Westchester/Whole Foods, and White Plains Hospital, perhaps in one large loop. Any plan would have to take into account the large amounts of traffic that can back up near, for instance, City Hall.
Yeah, for better or worse the Galleria and the county courthouse aren't going anywhere. I agree that some kind of trolley or streetcar loop connecting the train station and downtown would be a good solution. I can't find a link, but IIRC there was an attempt to start something like this back in the mid-2000s, although nothing came of it.
If the line went up Main Street and looped back to Mamaroneck Ave via South Broadway, that could help attract stable tenants to the storefronts on that section of the Post Road, especially once the Westchester Pavilion site is redeveloped.
Yeah, for better or worse the Galleria and the county courthouse aren't going anywhere. I agree that some kind of trolley or streetcar loop connecting the train station and downtown would be a good solution. I can't find a link, but IIRC there was an attempt to start something like this back in the mid-2000s, although nothing came of it.
If the line went up Main Street and looped back to Mamaroneck Ave via South Broadway, that could help attract stable tenants to the storefronts on that section of the Post Road, especially once the Westchester Pavilion site is redeveloped.
I remember them talking about this a few years back too. I think the problem was that they didn't think they'd get enough ridership to support it. Would be cool, but it would really only be handy for downtown location-to-downtown location trips and I'm not sure how many there are of those...lots of people coming off the train to work in WP already walk or get a private shuttle. But if they keep putting up apartments in downtown, then maybe ridership can reach that critical mass.
As an aside, lawyers for the Westchester Pavilion project presented the planning board with some minor revisions this week. So it looks like that keeps moving full speed ahead. Will be exciting when they break ground. That's got the potential to be a game changer
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