Topping-out ceremony for new mixed-use residential project in White Plains
Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks at the topping-out ceremony for a new mixed-use development in White Plains.
WHITE PLAINS – On the former site of the White Plains Mall, a 30-by-60-foot U.S. flag was raised Monday at the base of one of two towers nearing completion that will house a total of more than 475 apartments with amenities such as gyms, game rooms and a pool.
The flag was raised behind a number of officials, including the real estate development teams of RXR and Cappelli Organization, and in front of an audience that included construction workers at the topping-out ceremony for the buildings, which are part of the first phase of the construction project.
The concrete of the top floor was constructed in 5 Cottage, the tallest of the buildings at 26 storeys. In total, the new development, called AVE Hamilton Green, consists in the first phase of 25 Cottage (a 12-storey building with 170 residential units, which has also reached the highest floor) and the 5 Cottage tower with 307 residential units.
Resident amenities include a 24-hour concierge, lounges, co-working spaces, outdoor terraces and more. Two blocks from the Metro-North train station with connections to Manhattan, the building will include restaurants and shops. There are also plans for a 559-space underground parking garage and 36,000 square feet of commercial space.
Plans include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as “unique two-story loft and penthouse floor plans, including fully furnished apartments with flexible rental options for stays of 30 days or longer,” according to a press release. The apartments will have floor-to-ceiling windows with smart glass technology that “provides optimal natural light throughout the day and offers stunning views of the region.” There will be stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and backsplashes, generous walk-in closets and wood-like vinyl plank flooring.
There will also be a large open space accessible to the public.
Building 25 Cottage is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with the first occupancy planned shortly thereafter. Building 5 Cottage, where exterior work is clearly still underway, is expected to be completed around mid-2025.
The rent levels were not disclosed. Pre-leasing of the AVE Hamilton Green apartments is underway, a press release said.
“Today is a defining moment for Hamilton Green and the City of White Plains, and one that all of us here should be truly proud of,” Joseph Graziose, RXR's executive vice president of construction and development, told those at Monday's event. He added that Hamilton Green is “a state-of-the-art, mixed-use, transit-oriented and recreation-focused residential complex – a true example of what can happen when the public and private sectors come together to reimagine a city's downtown.”
The complex, which is bordered by Cottage Place, Hamilton Avenue, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Barker Avenue, represents the first phase of redevelopment by the team at RXR and the Cappelli Organization.
“The Cappelli Organization is excited to join our development partners and our partners from the City of White Plains and Westchester County in celebrating the redevelopment of this important property in the heart of downtown,” said Louis R. Cappelli, president of the Cappelli Organization, in a statement. “While the image of the former White Plains Mall is quickly fading, our entire team is extremely proud to build the new residential towers, bringing new opportunities and new vitality to downtown for hundreds of residents.”
Brad Korman, co-managing director of real estate company Korman Communities, said leasing has not yet opened, “but the interest is already remarkable.” He said the units will be spectacular, “with condo-quality amenities,” adding, “This will be unlike anything you've ever seen.”
Hamilton Green will initiate a second phase of development: two additional buildings with a total of 390 residential units and 45,000 square meters of commercial space.
The entire complex will include 78 affordable housing units.
Commercial property conversions are nothing new in Westchester
Replacing a former, long-vacant property with new housing and retail is no exception. The conversion of long-standing commercial properties into live-work-leisure facilities is underway throughout Westchester County and much of the country.
In Port Chester, for example, the long-vacant former United Hospital site is being redeveloped into 775 rental apartments, retail space, a boutique hotel, and nursing and dementia care units. In Yonkers, the Journal News reported in 2022 that three sites could see more than 3,550 mostly market-rate apartments and townhomes. And in White Plains, about 3,200 apartments with 384 affordable units are planned at the site of another former shopping center, the Galleria.
Some local officials attribute efforts to convert malls, corporate complexes, shopping centers and even former chain stores into residential space to a profound shift in shopping habits: people can now buy so many things online without having to visit a physical store.
At the December 2022 ceremony marking the opening of the White Plains Mall's redevelopment into Hamilton Green, which also included the demolition of the former mall's sign, Mayor Thomas Roach said the area where the former mall stood did not have the same character of a public square as the bustling Mamaroneck Avenue neighborhood with its restaurants and activities.
The renovation is intended to change this.
“We want to make this particular area, Main Street and Hamilton, less sterile and warmer for people and make it more pedestrian friendly,” Roach said at Monday's event.
The White Plains Mall opened in 1972 and over time housed stores and a branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Now, officials say, it is time to start a new chapter.
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