The White Plains Common Council at its meeting on the night of Aug. 4 voted to approve the sale of land to an entity controlled by White Plains Hospital so that a new parking garage can be constructed. Five of the seven council members voted in favor of the sale with two members recusing themselves because of conflicts.
There are three parcels of land that had been acquired by the White Plains Urban Renewal Agency (WPURA): 26-28 E. Post Road; 42 E. Post Road; and 60 E. Post Road, that are across from the hospital and adjacent to the Brookfield Commons property of the White Plains Housing Authority. Also involved is a parcel known as Brookfield Street that is owned by the city as well as a property owned by the White Plains Housing Authority. The Housing Authority would transfer an approximately 1.06-acre parcel to the project sponsor.
The consideration for the sale would be $11,464,497.99. The city’s Corporation Counsel John Callahan explained to the council that the amount represents what the WPURA paid for the properties it acquired through eminent domain proceedings along with various expenses. Callahan explained that other approvals, such as site plan approval, would be required before construction can begin.
The city’s commissioner of finance reviewed the hospital’s financial condition and in a memo reported that it appeared to be in sound financial condition and able to fund the acquisition and development of the proposed garage.
The hospital’s entity East Post Road LLC had applied to the WPURA to be designated an “eligible sponsor” for the garage project. On July 16, the WPURA designated East Post Road LLC to be qualified and eligible to develop the garage and also found that the proposed action would not have significant adverse environmental impacts.
The Common Council in its Aug. 4 voting approved of the designation of East Post Road LLC as a qualified and eligible sponsor for the development of the proposed garage in addition to approving the sale to it of the WPURA’s parcels for purposes of the development of the proposed garage.
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Plans call for the garage to have approximately 1,950 parking spaces. The garage would have a footprint of approximately 82,000 square feet. It would have a height of approximately 95 feet. The garage would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hospital through its entity East Post Road LLC would construct and manage the garage. Parking would be provided to accommodate residents of the Brookfield Commons development adjacent to the site. There would be up to 180 parking permits reserved for residents of the Brookfield Commons housing development. There would be an enclosed pedestrian bridge from the garage crossing above East Post Road to the hospital.
The construction of the garage may involve the use of Brownfields Remediation Program tax credits, although any plan to do so would be solely in the purview of the hospital or its affiliated entity, according to the city’s Planning Commissioner Christopher Gomez.
William Null, chairman of the board of White Plains Hospital said, “We just want to thank the city for its support and consideration in enabling this garage to move forward. It will make a significant difference for the hospital.”
White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said, “As hospitals close as health care changes, we’re very fortunate to have a growing hospital in our community that provides state-of-the-art medical care. As a city, it also is an economic engine. It’s a great employer where people can come in and work their way up the ladder. It’s a place of opportunity for our residents and a place of health care for all of us. We’re very fortunate to have this move forward. We have a thriving hospital in a thriving city.”
