White Plains begins formal review of plans for The LOFT’s building

The White Plains Common Council at its meeting on the night of Feb. 3 began the formal review of plans for a 14-story building at the southwest corner of Court Street and Quarropas Street on what currently is the parking lot for the Westchester County Board of Elections. The Business Journal reported in October that plans had been filed with the city.

The developer is 23 Quarropas LLC and the finished building is to be occupied by Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center Inc., known as “The LOFT.” There would be 141 affordable rental apartments for seniors. The building will also include an approximately 7,400 square foot office space that is intended to be occupied by The LOFT. The total parking requirement for the project is 72 spaces. However, the application calls for 47 spaces to be provided on site both at grade and below the building in a garage. The city would be paid a fee in lieu of the 25 parking spaces that would otherwise need to be provided.

Attorney Kristen Wilson of the White Plains-based law firm Marks DiPalermo Wilson PLLC told the Common Council, “23 Quarropas LLC has a 65-year lease with the County of Westchester with options to extend with the condition to maintain affordability.”

She said that the property consists of four tax lots that cover 0.55 acre and is currently improved as a 31,800 square foot parking lot and that all four tax lots are owned by the county.

“The LOFT is currently operating out of 252 Bryant Avenue and has a very long history of being in White Plains,” Wilson said. “The LOFT is excited to move its headquarters closer to transportation options and to expand its operations in order to meet its patrons’ needs.”

Wilson explained that the entities of HANAC, Inc. and Monadnock Development, LLC formed 23 Quarropas LLC and “will be jointly developing the property and will be responsible for the long-term ownership once the building is completed. The building will be divided into two leasehold condominium units with one of the units for the exclusive use by The LOFT and the other unit for the residential component.”

The intent to create the development was first made public at a news conference in June 2022 that featured George Latimer, now a U.S. Congressman who then was Westchester County Executive, Judy Troilo, executive director of The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center and White Plains Mayor Tom Roach among others.

When originally announcing the intent to build the project Latimer explained that the housing will not be exclusively for members of the LGBTQ+ community. However, he said that this will be the first housing complex in the county that is specifically planned to be friendly and supportive to LGBTQ+ residents.