Page 26 - The Business Council of Westchester - 2018 Relocation Guide

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LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE
COVER STORY
Seth Pinsky, RXR’s executive vice president, says these develop- ments are appealing to many who
seek convenient communities where they can live, work and play. “RXR is convinced that for empty nesters, young professionals and individuals in every de- mographic category in-between, these walk- able, transit-oriented neighborhoods, with their diversity and vitality, will continue to be attractive destinations,” says Pinsky.
Larkin Plaza is RXR’s Yonkers project, also under construction, and will include a 25-story building with 280 residential units, a 17-story, 159-unit building and a separate two-story building that will hold most of the complex’s 35,000 square feet of restaurant-and-retail space.
Other projects in the city of Yonkers in- clude Hudson Park Club, the latest addition to the Hudson Park luxury rental complex and UNO Micro Unit Apartments. Devel- oped by Collins Enterprises, Hudson Park Club is a 230,000 sq. ft. building located just blocks from the Yonkers Metro-North Station. The building features 213 studio, one- and two-bedroom rentals. UNO Apart- ments, developed by National Resources, is located in the middle of i.Park by the Yon- kers waterfront. The project connects the 1923 Otis Elevator Building and the 1933 Herald Statesman building and has trans- formed them into 50 micro-unit apart- ments and 50 loft-style apartments.
“Yonkers is experiencing a welcomed re- naissance with its economic development, much of which is reflective of the growing trend of Millennials and empty nesters who are relocating to urban areas that are more affordable. Our transit-oriented develop- ment projects result in more jobs, more so- cial, recreational choices and additional rev- enue for our city. It’s a win-win,” says Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers.
Pedestrian-friendly urban centers easily accessible by rail and bus are transforming real estate all over the county. “The regu- larity and frequency of being able to travel anywhere in Westchester is a real attraction for the commuter,” explains Aaron Velez, associate real estate broker and brokerage manager of Houlihan Lawrence’s Yonkers office. Since 2015, there has been an 18%
overall increase in the number of residents moving to Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle combined.
Wilson Kimball, Yonkers’ commissioner of planning & development, says, “Under Mayor Mike Spano’s leadership, Yonkers has partnered with local cultural institutions for initiatives like the successful Generation Yonkers marketing campaign, design of new bike racks, Daylighting III of the Saw Mill River and arts programing, all within 1/4 mile of a train station, in order to attract the kind of people who want to live, work and play in a beautiful, convenient, green and sustainable city on the Hudson River.”
Not to be outdone by its sister cities, White Plains has also gotten aboard the TOD train, with the brand-new Continuum. Situ- ated on Bank Street, just steps away from the White Plains Metro-North station, Con- tinuum is a multiphase LCOR development project that features a majestic 16-story tower housing 288 luxury residences, with 3,000 square feet worth of ground-floor re- tail space as Phase I. Amenities that accom- pany the panoramic views of both White Plains and Manhattan include a 24-hour concierge, Sky Lounge, fitness club, open-air terraces, rooftop deck, swimming pool and firepit. A companion 16-story tower, with 273 additional units, is also underway.
“The importance of a vibrant, well- functioning transit hub to a city cannot be overstated,” offers White Plains’ mayor, Thomas Roach. “In White Plains, we are moving forward with plans to improve our Transit District. The Continuum aligns with our vision for the District, and I am pleased to see it come to fruition.”
Top: GDC’s River Tides at Greystone
features spectacular views of the Hudson. Above: RXR Realty has a far-reaching master plan to cultivate New Rochelle, as epitomized by its Main Street development project.
In a 2015 study conducted by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), over half of all Ameri- cans and 63% of the Millennial generation said they would like to live in a place where they do not need to use a car very often. To that end, Westchester has three different Metro-North lines (Hudson, Harlem and New Haven), a Bee-Line bus system, and the county is currently exploring ways to incor- porate bus rapid transit, a mass-transit sys- tem that uses specialized buses to quickly move people along a fixed route.
“Repurposing properties along the I-287 corridor and transit-oriented development is key the future of Westchester County,” says Dr. Marsha Gordon, president/CEO of the Business Council of Westchester. “It is important that bus rapid transit be a part of this push for sustainable economic develop- ment, efforts that limit sprawl and preserve open space.”
Westchester’s surrounding counties, Put- nam, Orange and Rockland, are also devel-