The White Plains Urban Renewal Agency (URA) on a vote of three to zero has decided to begin proceedings to acquire property on E. Post Road across from White Plains Hospital. The resolution approved by the agency allows it to acquire the property using the power of eminent domain if necessary, also sometimes referred to as condemnation.
The property covered by the resolution is located at 42-44 E. Post Road and sits between the area along E. Port Road that is across from the hospital and the White Plains Housing Authority’s property formerly known as Winbrook that currently is being redeveloped as Brookfield Commons.
According to the resolution, the URA is considering acquiring the property to construct “a new multi-level public parking garage to serve the general public and alleviate existing parking deficiencies in the area as well as to facilitate redevelopments in the area to be undertaken by the White Plains Hospital and the White Plains Housing Authority.”
A graphic layout sheet showed an overlay of the contemplated garage footprint on a sketch of the existing properties. It called for the garage to cover 431 feet along E. Post Road with a depth toward Brookfield Commons of 185 feet. The resolution described the property to be acquired as “one such property located within the area contemplated for the garage project.” The URA previously had expressed an interest in possibly acquiring property further to the west that fronted Post Road and consisted of a mix of retail storefronts with apartments above.
The city has given approval to plans for White Plains Hospital to build a new 10-story building on the site of the hospital’s former Davis Avenue garage and commercial buildings. That garage and the adjacent buildings have been demolished and the site is being prepared for the new building. The hospital established a grade-level parking lot on property it owns where automobile dealers formerly had been located.
When Attorney William Null, who also is chairman of the hospital’s board of directors, was making presentations to the city about plans for the new hospital building, the need for parking to serve the hospital as well as the surrounding area was discussed. Null acknowledged that providing adequate parking was an important issue for the hospital and that in the future it could build a new garage on the site that now is the at-grade parking lot. The city’s Planning Commissioner Christopher Gomez had commented that the city was looking at the possibilities for building a garage fronting on E. Post Road across from the hospital that could serve the general needs of the area while also providing parking for users of the hospital, especially those going to the emergency room.
The resolution approved by the URA to acquire the 42-44 E. Post Road properties, including a former gas station, medical supply company and Firestone store, did not specify a timetable for action. It did direct URA’s staff, legal counsel and their consultants to take all steps needed to prosecute proceedings pursuant to and in accordance with the New York Eminent Domain Property Law in order to acquire title to the property.
