White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Cappelli Seeks to Build Rentals on top floor of City Center Garage.

WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. February 15, 2007: Cappelli Enterprises, according to its Vice President, Bruce Berg will present to the Common Council tomorrow morning a proposal to convert the existing top floor of the City Center Municipal Garage, operated by Cappelli Enterprises into rental apartments. The details will be presented to the Council in discussion of a site plan amendment to be presented Friday morning. No reason, other than use of the previously approved retail space, was given by Mr. Berg. Cozy Drive-Ups: Top Floor of the City Center Parking Garage, Trump Tower at City Center looming at the left. The floor houses the New York Sports Club (lit windows in background), which will remain. Cappelli Enterprises seeks a site plan amendment to add 23 Rental Apartments to the structure. The configuration has not been made public yet, but may be introduced Friday morning. The scene here is the White Plains Hospital Center gala in September of 2005. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

Mr. Berg previewed the idea for The CitizeNetReporter Thursday evening, explaining that they had originally planned to put in retail there in the form of The Fountain Spa. “That deal fell through,” Berg said, and now they want to amend the site plan for the garage to allow 23 rental apartments. Berg did not indicate what the rental rates would be. Sources contacted by WPCNR this evening observed that the new rental apartments could, should the Cappelli organization choose, be converted into affordable housing fulfilling the 24-units required of the 221 Main Street Ritz-Carlton as a condition of receipt of its Certificate of Occupancy, should for any reason The Pinnacle Project not be built, thus enabling the Cappelli Organization to step in and meet its affordable housing commitment on the 221 Main Ritz-Carlton Westchester project, scheduled to open in seven months. Observers will Recall... Delay in The Pinnacle financing for its 52 units of affordable housing on Main Street convinced the Council to grant Ginsburg Development Corporation an extenstion until April to execute a Guarantee that they would build the 52 units, 24 of which were to satisfy Mr. Cappelli’s obligation to provide 24 affordable units as condition of receiving his Certificate of Occupancy of the Ritz-Carlton. At that Common Council meeting, Corporation Counsel Edward Dunphy noted to Ms. Malmud the following observation that the “likelihood” of the Pinnacle affordable housing being built by “late 2007”, the time when 221 Main is targeted for completion and a certificate of occupancy required, is unlikely. Councilperson Malmud asked what would happen if the Pinnacle failed to cobble together its financing by April. Dunphy said the responsibility for the Cappelli portion of the affordable units would revert back to Mr. Cappelli. Where Mr. Cappelli would build that affordable housing was not conjectured by Mr. Dunphy. Malmud said at the time she would do “everything in her power to withhold the certificate of occupancy from Mr. Cappelli until his “share” of the affordable housing was built. Dunphy suggested to Ms. Malmud that short of that stance, the council could withhold Certificate of Occupancy from the second tower, as means of enforcing the affordable housing piece. The seeking of the site plan amendment comes the same week that Mr. Cappelli announced a $250,000 kickoff gift to a $1,000,000 fund drive to underwrite the White Plains Performing Arts Center for 2007-2008.


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