Key issues for proposed Galleria development: open space, parking, affordable apartments:
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"Developers of the former Galleria mall property unveiled more details of their vision Thursday as they seek support from local realtors and investors.
Their "District Galleria" proposal includes seven residential towers, office space, retail and open space to replace the 870,000-square-foot mall that opened in 1980 and closed in March.
The residential towers would include 3,200 apartments with 384 affordable units. Forty-six percent of the project’s footprint would be designated as open space with a mile-long promenade, playgrounds and parks. A four-level underground parking structure would provide 3,400 parking spaces.
The developer is seeking rezoning approvals from the city of White Plains. The parties are negotiating key details on parking, open space and the number of affordable apartments.
Bruce Berg, chief executive officer of the Cappelli Development Company, said Thursday at an event hosted by the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors that the $2.5 billion redevelopment would bring activity to the city, especially the train station area.
"It has potential impact on every one of us in some way," he said. “What we’re hopefully to do is to activate all four streets that surround the property.”
How long would it take?
Here are key details on the proposed plan:
- The planning process may take 12-15 months.
- The project would be completed in phases that may take up to 10 years.
- A pedestrian bridge would be built over the Martin Luther King Boulevard.
- The target market for residential units would be young adults, families and empty-nesters, ranging from 25 to 70 years old. The plan is to house a diverse group of residents in terms of income, age and demographic.
- Although the number of jobs that would be created is unclear, the developer can tell from experience that each building would create about 500 construction jobs.
- All apartment units are likely to be rentals.
- The building cost for the apartment buildings would be about $600-$700 per square foot.
- There would be charging systems for electronic vehicles.
Among the seven buildings, six would be high-rises ranging from 350-450 feet and one would be a 12-story building. South Lexington Avenue and Court Street would be connected through a garden promenade, a pedestrian bridge and an entertainment plaza.
The property is currently in a zone that only “allows enclosed shopping malls with accompanying parking and other facilities.” The developer is seeking rezoning approvals for a transit-oriented district that would allow residential, retail and office space at different heights.
Many issues to be resolved
Berg said a redevelopment plan has been brewing for seven years, since the Pacific Retail Capital Partners bought the property in 2016. The plan has evolved from multifamily housing development to a mixed-use project.
The whole planning process would include zoning changes, an environmental impact study, public hearings, site planning and more, and should take over a year.
“There’s a lot of things in front of us still. So support from organizations like HGAR would be really important,” Berg said.
MacKenzie Forsberg, vice chair of HGAR commercial and investment division, said any transformative project like District Galleria that brings outside investment into a municipality is an opportunity for both commercial and residential professionals because there is a trickle-down effect.
“If you’re creating the housing, businesses and bringing those who want to invest here, that creates jobs, and those jobs create people who need to and want to live in certain areas,” she said. “Any time we look to invest anywhere, we always ask first if the municipality is doing anything to invest in their infrastructure and to attract reinvestment to their community.”
Signs of a proactive municipality include updating comprehensive plans and streamlining planning and development processes, Forsberg said.
About 150 realtors and investors attended the event. Their questions covered housing demand, jobs, parking, security and community reactions.
Affordable units still under discussion
White Plains city officials and residents have voiced desires to see more open space, parking spaces and affordable units.
While the city requires 12% affordable units for new housing developments, a residents group had called for 25% of apartments built on the property to go to households earning 50% of the Area Median Income for Westchester County.
Also, the plan calls for tearing down two municipal parking garages that have 2,787 parking spaces.
Berg said those topics are still under negotiation with the City Common Council.
“One thing we make very clear to everybody we’ve presented to is the more we’re able to develop close to the full program that we were asking for, the more we can afford to provide benefits for the community,” Berg said. “If they cut the project back, it hurts the economics and prevents us doing everything they want us to do. There’s a trade-off as you know in our business. There’s only so much you can do that doesn’t make economic sense.”
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