Page 39 - Westchester County Economic Development Guide 2013

features two 40-story residential and
hotel towers, one with more than 300
condominium units and the luxurious
Ritz-Carlton hotel. The City Center,
which opened in 2003, is a mixed-
use development with two 35-story
apartment and condominium towers.
There are also municipal parking
facilities and 600,000 square feet of
retail, restaurant and entertainment
space. This development has expanded
White Plains’ preeminence, along with
The Westchester and The Galleria, as the
retail center of Westchester County.
Bryant Gardens is another well-
maintained apartment complex
positioned on 22 acres of park-like land,
minutes from downtown.
White Plains also embraces sustainable
development, as several office buildings
– ranging from 123 Main Street and 360
Hamilton Avenue to 10 Bank Street and
150 Grand Street – have been renovated
to high levels of energy efficiency and
green building standards.
The business revival has allowed the
city to showcase its commitment to
the local economy. The walkability of
the downtown area encourages resident
consumers to shop and enjoy high-quality
dining in their neighborhoods. Several
college campuses – Pace University,
Berkeley College, Mercy College, SUNY
Purchase, and The College of Westchester
– are seated in White Plains, providing
a key demographic to many businesses.
Restaurants and pubs serve the growing
young professional population.
As another feature of Smart Growth,
the city funded construction of the
410-seat White Plains Performing
Arts Center, which hosts concerts, off-
Broadway productions and even business
seminars. For something larger, the
art-deco Westchester County Center,
opened in 1930, has more than 40,000
square feet of space. It is an up-to-date,
multi-purpose indoor recreational facility,
hosting everything from trade shows to
county sports events and even a farmer’s
market.
The 292-bed White Plains Hospital
Center is a regional leader in orthopedics,
obstetrics, neonatology and cancer care,
and U.S. News and World Report named it
one of the “2012 Best Hospitals” in New
York. The hospital center is also a nine-
time winner of the National Research
Corporation’s Consumer’s Choice Award.
The City of White Plains keeps its
roads well-maintained to accommodate
auto and mass transit commuters.
Multiple train stops are found throughout
the area, and White Plains Westchester
County Airport accommodates more than
one million passengers each year while
providing non-stop commercial services
to more than a dozen major U.S. cities.
Yonkers
www.cityofyonkers.com
Yonkers is the fourth most populated
city in New York – the largest in
Westchester County – and maintains
within its 18 square miles a unique mix
of non-profit organizations, commercial
operations and private industries. On
the strength of these resources, the city
managed to turn a profit despite the
global economic struggles of the past
decade.
And now, a new era of business
development in Yonkers has been firmly
established on a foundation of … Legos!
In October 2012, ground was broken
on a $12 million, 32,300-square-foot
LEGOLAND ® Discovery Center, the first
of its kind in the northeast United States.
The much-anticipated family attraction
– complete with a Lego re-creation of
landmarks throughout Westchester
County and New York City – is expected
to open alongside the many shops,
restaurants and entertainment venues
already at Westchester’s Ridge Hill in
spring 2013.
A few steps away, the new Monarch
at Ridge Hill is an environmentally
friendly, upscale urban village of four
ultra-luxury condominium towers
offering hotel-style amenities.
A very active Yonkers Industrial
Development Agency (IDA) has ensured
a positive outlook for the city through
financial incentives and tax exemptions
that help propel business activities
forward. IDA-assisted projects in 2009
employed more than 8,564 full-time
Hudson River Museum, Yonkers
TRIVIA:
• Amonument marks the
area where, in July 1776,
the White Plains courthouse
hosted the signing of the
charter that made New York a
state. The courthouse burned
down in November of that
year.
• White Plains is the birthplace
of Facebook creator Mark
Zuckerburg.
• Bird People, a movie starring
Josh Charles and due for
release in 2013, was filmed in
part at Heineken USA’s White
Plains office.
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