Page 38 - Westchester County Economic Development Guide 2013
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CENTERS OF
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
White Plains
As the county seat, White Plains
is at the very heart of Westchester’s
political, social and economic activity.
More than “The Birthplace of the State
of New York,” it combines a suburban
environment with urban sophistication
for a great living and working experience,
and its fusion of commercial, retail and
dining centers allows residents to get the
best of all worlds.
A mere 25 miles north of Manhattan
and a 35-minute commute via express
train, White Plains has become home
to many major corporations such as
Heineken USA and ITT. In addition,
White Plains is ranked fifth in the state
in annual sales volume – retail trade
earns more than $2 billion in sales
annually, while the professional services
and healthcare sectors each account for
more than $1 billion. The active economy
and growing population led
Businessweek
magazine to declare White Plains one of
America’s fastest-growing cities in 2010.
Money
magazine also included White
Plains as one of its top 100 places to live,
describing it as giving residents “the
benefits of the nation’s largest city with a
small-town feel.”
This city of 57,000 sees its average
weekday population swell to more than
250,000 due to shoppers, visitors and
workers. With that, White Plains is also
considered one of the wealthier cities
in America: The median family income
came in at $73,522 in 2010, while per
capita income totaled nearly $44,000.
Beginning back in 1998, White
Plains experienced significant economic
development in the commercial and
housing sectors as a result of its Smart
Growth and Sustainable Development
policies. Focal achievements include the
city’s Coordinated Review System, which
eliminates bureaucratic roadblocks to
development, and changes in zoning laws
that emphasize mixed-income housing
downtown and continue to attract
businesses to the city’s core.
A decade later, White Plains added
The Renaissance Square complex, which
White Plains
36
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