Politics & Government

Developers Propose Shops, Apartments at Site of Main St. Parking Lot

Builders envision luxury rentals above storefronts at the intersection of Main Street and Westchester Avenue. The space is currently a parking lot used mostly by movie-goers and restaurant patrons.

Anyone not living beneath a rock knows that crowded schools mean Port Chester leaders are loathe to green-light residential projects in the village.

At Monday night's board meeting, two representatives from developer G&S tried to assure trustees that their proposed 89-unit building, dubbed "Waterfront Place," wouldn't result in more kids squeezing into already-tight classrooms.

When Trustee Joseph Kenner asked attorney Mark Weingarten what would distinguish Waterfront Place from other apartment buildings populated by families, Weingarten began speaking about "the class and quality of finishes" and materials in the building when G&S partner Bob Weinberg cut in.

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"It's location, location, location," Weinberg said.

The building will offer rentals only. And with modest apartment sizes ranging from 450 to 550 sq. ft. for studios, and up to 950 sq. ft. for two-bedroom units, the main attraction is the proposed building's location.

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The development won't be blocks from downtown, or a short walk from the train station -- if it's approved, it will be built in the dead center of town, at the busy intersection of Main Street and Westchester Avenue.

G&S investors are banking on that fact in the hopes of drawing young professionals, divorcees and other singles who are willing to pay rents that exceed $2,000 a month.

"We want to attract young professionals, we want to attract empty-nesters who want to maintain ties to the community," Weingarten told a mostly-skeptical Board of Trustees.

The proposed site is currently a parking lot, used mostly by shoppers and diners headed to the movies or restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings and Panera Bread across the street.

Plans call for retail space on the first floor and apartments above, with an architectural style "compatible with existing buildings" and the existing waterfront complex, which itself features faux windows, shutters and facades designed to mirror the older buildings surrounding it.

Weingarten cited similar developments in White Plains and Bronxville, projects that "resulted in very few school children" absorbed into school districts in those towns.

Although some trustees seemed wary of the project, Mayor Dennis Pilla said the village is in a better position to consider new housing "now that we have an effective code enforcement process."

Trustees voted Monday night to refer the proposal to the planning board, which will review details such as the site plan, proposed zoning changes to allow for construction, and anticipated impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

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