Elmsford apartments planned for former Antun’s site

A razed Saw Mill River Parkway landmark in Elmsford, Antun”™s of Westchester Catering, could be replaced by an apartment and retail building proposed by the Robert Martin Co. in a $22 million mixed-use development.

The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency on Thursday gave its preliminary support for the project and incentives that include a $229,000 mortgage recording tax exemption and sales tax exemptions totaling approximately $583,000.

Timothy M. Jones, managing member of the Elmsford-based Robert Martin Co., said the company 18 months ago signed a purchase option on the vacant property at 35 Valley Ave., where Antun”™s of Westchester closed its doors in 2012 after 27 years of operation. The developer plans to build a 110,000-square-foot building on the site with 96 market-rate workforce apartments and 11,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Elmsford Village Administrator Michael C. Mills said the village last year created a neighborhood business district in the proposed development area off the Saw Mill River Parkway and Route 119. Village officials are expected to do a final review of project plans in July, he said.

“I think having the retail here, it”™s great for that whole little section of Elmsford,” Jones told IDA directors.

The developer said the project will create 100 construction jobs and an estimated 25 full-time jobs.

County IDA member Nicholas V. Longo voted against the board”™s resolution of support for the project after Jones said the developer will not sign a project labor agreement with union locals. “We have to be open shop because we have to be competitive,” Jones said when Longo asked whether the company would employ union labor.

“While I”™m an admirer of Robert Martin, I”™m disappointed in the attitude toward organized labor,” Longo said.