Five organizations are vying for the right to create a plan to redevelop part of Tarrytown”™s Hudson River waterfront.
The village issued a Request for Qualifications/Request for Interest (RFQ/RFI) document to begin the process of selecting a developer “for the preparation of a redevelopment plan, on dedicated village parkland that currently is in use by the Washington Irving Boat Club (WIBC).”
The RFQ/RFI, which had a Sept. 22 deadline for responses, began a process that”™s intended to result in the village selecting one or more finalists who would be invited next year to submit a formal proposal for doing something with the waterfront property.
The site at 238 Green St. consists of approximately 6.1 acres of which 3.6 acres are underwater. Both the land and underwater portions of the site are owned by the village. The WIBC and Sunset Cove Restaurant have operated there through a leasing arrangement. Both suffered damage from Hurricanes Irene and Sandy. Repairs were made but the village would like to see the current structures replaced with upgrades that would improve flood mitigation.
The village said that it is not interested in residential development on the site because it is parkland and is looking for something that would be a tourist attraction. It suggested “restaurants, marina, docks, bike rentals, kayak rentals, etc. Creativity within the response and past work will be given high consideration.”
The five RFQ/RFI responses that were received included one from the WIBC itself, which wants to be able to remain in operation at the site. A heavy hitter in the development field, National Resources, which is based in Greenwich and reported having successfully redeveloped more than $1 billion in projects through public/private partnerships, said it “is uniquely positioned to take on this waterfront project.”
National Resources already has been developing Hudson Harbor, just a stone”™s throw from the proposed development site. Hudson Harbor is a $230 million mixed-use project with 300 residential units and 50,000 square feet of commercial, retail and restaurant space.
The company said it would like to see a Hudson Valley Gateway Visitor Center at the Tarrytown waterfront that would showcase exhibits about historic and environmental subjects related to the Hudson River and the Hudson Valley. It said the visitor center could be supported by a dock and pier promenade with approximately 7,500 square feet of restaurant and food service businesses.
It further said it would be amenable to working out a partnership with the WIBC that included a shared services agreement with the neighboring Tarrytown Boat & Yacht Club.
Other expressions of interest in handling the redevelopment project came from: Pier 115 Group, a team of developers in Piermont that has built waterfront restaurant, bar and entertainment operations; N. K. Bhandari Architecture and Engineering of Syracuse; and Barley House Restaurant Group, which has the restaurant and bar Barley on the Hudson at the Tarrytown Boat & Yacht Club.
When word got out about the village beginning a process that could lead to redevelopment of the WIBC”™s site, a movement got underway to rally support for the boat club. An online petition started circulating that called on the village to keep the WIBC in place.
“The village of Tarrytown wants to close down the boat club and change it to a tourist attraction,” the petition said. “Three generations and friends built up and maintained this public parkland with their own money and sweat equity without a single penny of Tarrytown taxpayer”™s money.”
As of Oct. 5, the petition had 1,615 signatures.
WIBC”™s response to the RFQ/RFI envisioned changes that include: creating a Hudson River Environmental Education Center; installing new landscaping; making additional renovations to the existing restaurant building after $300,000 in renovations that took place this year; adding a stage for entertainment; removing some structures to create more green space; and extending the Scenic Hudson Riverwalk.
WIBC suggested that the current size of the marina would be maintained, with a covered area potentially created for boat storage during the winter. WIBC pointed out that the docking spaces at the marina are fully rented, public access to the water is provided and many residents continue to visit the site and the restaurant.
The Pier 115 Group said its overall vision included integration of the public park and marina with a publicly accessible state-of-the-art restaurant and banquet hall.
The Barley House Restaurant Group said it would beautify the parkland while adding a brewery and restaurant along with an upgraded kayak launch area and marina.
N. K. Bhandari provided background on its personnel and projects in which they were involved along the Hudson River and as far away as China.
In the RFQ/RFI, Tarrytown said that the notion of redeveloping the site into more of a regional tourist attraction would be consistent with other development that has taken place along its waterfront so far during this century. It pointed out that only 20 years ago, the waterfront was dominated by industrial properties such as an asphalt plant and Anchor Motor Freight facility, whose trucks hauled vehicles that had been produced at the General Motors plant.
“The Village seeks creative approaches to redevelopment of the property,” the RFQ/RFI said. “Public access along the waterfront, not just for clients or customers, is one of the top priorities of the long-term plans for this site.”
