Astorino promotes North 60

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino promoted the North 60 project as the cornerstone of the county”™s strategy to create a biotech hub, in his State of the County address on April 21.

North 60 refers to 60 acres of undeveloped land on the county”™s Grasslands campus in Valhalla, where a developer wants to build the $1.2 billion Westchester Bio-Science and Technology Center.

Astorino said the center would take advantage of nearby biotech companies, such as Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Mount Pleasant and Acorda Therapeutics in Ardsley. The Grasslands campus also is home to Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College.

Greenwich developer John Fareri, who owns 20 acres next to the Grasslands site, has proposed building three research villages. Plans call for medical offices, research facilities, a children”™s science center, a hotel, restaurants and stores totaling almost three million square feet.

The development could create 4,000 construction jobs and 8,000 permanent jobs, $7 million a year in rent to the county, and $9 million a year in property taxes to the county and to the town and schools of Mount Pleasant.

The county legislature is reviewing Fareri”™s proposed 99-year lease for building on county land. The project will also require comprehensive regulatory reviews by the county and town of Mount Pleasant.

Astorino also pledged in his address to maintain a flat county budget and to not raise taxes.