The Village of Mamaroneck is seeking a developer or group of organizations to redevelop village-owned properties into a mixed-use Village Civic Center. It has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the project. In addition to a new village hall, police department and court facilities, the RFP calls for there to be at least 250 public parking spaces and an undetermined number of new housing units.
The core parcels for the Village Civic Center total 4.1 acres and include 169 Mount Pleasant Ave. and the Hunter Tier Parking Deck across the street on Prospect Avenue.
The property at 169 Mount Pleasant Ave. is 2.5 acres. It is improved with a three-story building housing village municipal office space, the Mamaroneck Police Department and Courts, along with surface parking and landscaped green space. The building is more than one-hundred years old. Mamaroneck says the building has outlived its useful life, as well as not meeting modern codes.
The Hunter Tier Parking Deck had been the proposed site of a housing development, which did not proceed. It has two levels with 214 spaces. The village says the parking deck has structural issues and is in need of rehabilitation or replacement. It would like to see a combination of housing and parking on the site.
Additionally, there are other nearby sites that the RFP says are available for consideration for development. They are Village Hall at the Regatta at 123 Mamaroneck Ave. Village Hall is currently located on the first floor of that mixed-use building. Approximately 5,300 square feet are used for the village manager, clerk, treasurer, village attorney, personnel office and other uses. The village owns the space, which is worth approximately $1.5 million to $2 million. The RPF notes that the village currently pays around $93,000 a year in common charges and other fees for the space. It suggests that the sale of the space could help fund the development scheme and that a sale could take place once a new Village Hall is constructed and staff members are able to relocate.
Another space for possible redevelopment that the RFP identifies is the Fire Department’s Hook #1 two-story building at 145 Mamaroneck Ave. The building is a designated local village landmark. The property is approximately 2,920 square feet and currently has about 1,000 square feet being used as storage space for the Fire Department and the village. While the building is outside of the main project area for development of the Village Civic Center, it can be considered for repurposing as part of the development scheme, the RFP says.
The RFP noted that a developer could, if it wishes, include other properties in the Village Civic Center plan and could negotiate to purchase private properties.
Overall, the RFP establishes several objectives of the Village Civic Center plan. These include:
- Replacement of municipal public parking from the Hunter Tier Parking Deck;
- Construction of a new Village Hall to consolidate employees together in one location;
- Sale/reuse of the current Village Hall space at the Regatta 123 Mamaroneck Ave.;
- Construction of a new Police Station with required amenities and dedicated parking;
- Additional/relocated storage space for the Fire Department (Old Hook #1 building);
- Construction of new Court facilities with required amenities and shared parking;
- Reuse/relinquish current off-site storage space (650 Halstead Ave.);
- Construction of new residences that can include a mixture of affordable and market-rate housing as needed to support the development plan.
Responses to the RFP are due by 4 p.m. on Jan. 15.
Separately, the village is applying for a $4.5 million New York Forward grant to work on reimagining Mamaroneck Avenue. It wants to invest in streetscape improvements and improving connectivity between Mamaroneck Avenue, parking areas and the Harbor Island Park waterfront. It also wants to work on bringing a full-service restaurant to Harbor Island Park.
“Through opportunities such as New York Forward, the village is taking action to revitalize the downtown and encourage additional community benefits from the private sector that address core issues such as lack of parking and flood mitigation,” said Kathleen Gill, Mamaroneck’s village manager. “We will continue to keep village residents informed every step of the way throughout this process.”
