Construction to begin soon on Hamilton Green project
Construction on the long-awaited Hamilton Green mixed-use project on the site of the White Plains Mall at 200 Hamilton Ave. in downtown White Plains is expected to begin in June, according to Louis Cappelli, whose construction company is handling the project.
Cappelli’s LRC Construction has been active in White Plains recently, working on The Mitchell apartment complex for Lennar Multifamily Communities as well as 25 N. Lex for Greystar Real Estate. Cappelli’s company previously completed LCOR’s apartment towers on Bank Street in White Plains.
The plan calls for Hamilton Green to be built as a two-phase project. Attorney Mark Weingarten of the White Plains-based law firm DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr LLP had told the White Plains Common Council, “In order to facilitate the financing and construction of this project, the property received approval for the creation of a commercial condominium, which enables the project to be financed and built in two phases,”
Developer RXR Realty, through RX Hamilton Investor LLC, became the managing member and controlling member of Hamilton Green Green Partners LLC, owner of Phase One. In addition to building Phase One, Cappelli’s company is expected to handle the construction of Phase Two. Plans call for much of the necessary site preparation for Phase Two to be done along with Phase One construction.
The approved Hamilton Green project incorporates 860 apartments in four buildings ranging in height from 150 to 280 feet, approximately 85,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 27,000 square feet of office space, approximately 55,000 square feet of open space that will be accessible by the public and 956 parking spaces. In 2019, the project was valued at $585.2 million.
Cappelli says that his company will deliver to RXR Realty on April 1 the building One Clinton Park that it has completed in New Rochelle for RXR. The 28-story mixed-use tower has 352 rental units.
Cappelli was one of several panelists on a Business Council of Westchester (BCW) virtual presentation in its “State of the Economy” series that was hosted by Marsha Gordon, BCW’s president and CEO.
William Balter of Wilder Balter Partners, a company active in creating affordable housing in Westchester, said, “We look as a company to work in communities that are really actively engaged in economic development, and then planning the growth of their downtowns. We”™re working with communities that want growth.”
Joe Cotter, president of Greenwich-based National Resources, bemoaned the fact that some suburban municipalities do not seem to have room for workforce housing or young people.
Another panelist was Rella Fogliano, CEO of Macquesten Development. Macquesten has created affordable housing, and Fogliano pointed out that its affordable buildings use upscale materials and finishes similar to those used in luxury buildings.
“It takes a few dollars out of my pocket to use special materials inside and out, but I think that the rewards are tenfold,” said Fogliano. “I don”™t want anybody to look at one of my buildings and say, ”˜Oh, that”™s affordable housing.”™”
David Garten, senior vice president of corporate affairs at RXR, said that it’s not just Westchester but the entire region that has a shortage of affodable housking. He said that the lottery to select tenants for a 143-unit affordable housing project by RXR in Brooklyn has received 11,000 applications.
“You can”™t be pro-affordability, but anti-density. You can”™t be for sustainability, but against growth,” said Garten. “These are unfortunately economic truisms.”
Andrew Weisz, senior vice president of the RPW Group, spoke about company’s conversion of office parks into mixed-use properties. He said that the 300 new apartments at their 1133 Westchester Ave. office park should be open in September.