Journal News
White Plains welcomes 44-story towers
By RICHARD LIEBSON
THE JOURNAL NEWS
Rita Santos, who works for the city of White Plains, takes a photo from
the 41st floor of the Renaissance Tower in White Plains.
WHITE PLAINS — The city put on the Ritz yesterday in a lavish "topping-off"
ceremony to celebrate completion of the skeletal top floor of the Ritz-Carlton
Westchester hotel and condominium project being built by developer Louis
Cappelli.
At 44 stories reaching almost 500 feet into the sky, the mammoth
Mamaroneck Avenue structure is said to be the tallest building between New
York City and Boston.
"It's way, way up there," said Marcus Grimes, as cast members of the
upcoming Broadway musical "The Times They Are A-Changin' " sang Bob Dylan tunes
in nearby Fountain Park during the celebration. "You know it's
going to be expensive."
Cappelli's $400 million Renaissance Square project will feature two luxury
condo towers with the hotel in the middle. The complex also will house
meeting spaces, a health spa, a swimming pool and upscale restaurants.
Renaissance Square is expected to open in 2008.
"It's just extraordinary to see the change in this great capital of
Westchester," Gov. George Pataki said during brief remarks on the 41st floor,
where VIPs and reporters gathered to gawk at views of Manhattan, Long
Island Sound, the Palisades and other landmarks.
Glancing toward the southeast, one could see the 39-story Trump Plaza
under construction by Cappelli and Donald Trump in New Rochelle that was
until yesterday the tallest building in Westchester County. New Rochelle, like
White Plains, is in the midst of a development boom, with several other
skyscrapers being planned and the AvalonBay Communities project under construction.
Cappelli "is rebuilding the downtowns of some of our oldest communities —
White Plains, New Rochelle and soon, Yonkers — bringing life and
excitement," Pataki said. "This is an example of smart growth."
Mayor Joseph Delfino pointed out that Renaissance Square is the latest in a
series of retail, business and residential projects that have reshaped the city's downtown
in the past six years. Those include Cappelli's City Center
with its movies and stores, a Stop & Shop supermarket, a Fortunoff and
Trump Tower condominiums.
"Today we celebrate the changing times of the city of White Plains," Delfino
said. "I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and excitement. The Ritz-
Carlton adds a rich level of sophistication to our city."
Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano apparently agreed, saying
before the ceremony that the five-star hotel "fills a tremendous niche in Westchester."
"We have some tremendous hotels here already, but business executives I
talk to say that the Ritz Carlton really raises the bar and fills a need," he said.
Cappelli said his developments in White Plains and New Rochelle have
attracted $1.4 billion in private investments in the
past four years. He said that would not have been possible without the cooperation of state and local
governments and agencies.
"This is a very important day for me because this is the most ambitious
project I've done. The building is going up and it's starting to sell," he said
before the ceremony, adding that about $30 million worth of luxury condo
space in the new tower has been sold with no advertising and before
yesterday's official opening of the sales office.
Simon F. Cooper, president and chief executive officer of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company,
said the White Plains development was "the product of
(Cappelli's) dream and vision."
"White Plains was certainly not big on Ritz-Carlton's agenda" before Cappelli
persuaded the company to sign on to the project, Cooper said.
"We're thrilled to be part of the renaissance of White Plains," he said, "and
we still strive to become an integral part of the community. If we're not
serving the community, then we're not doing our job."
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About the Ritz-Carlton Westchester
Location: The building towers over Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue.
Hotel: Luxury accommodations featuring 123 rooms, 10,000-square-foot spa
and fitness center, and 10,000 square feet of meeting and special events
space.
Restaurants: A two-story restaurant fronting on Main Street and a rooftop
restaurant with views of Manhattan.
Residences: 44-story luxury tower with 181 condos and 32 furnished suites.
The condos range from 1,200 to 5,200 square feet.
Condo price: From $700,000 to $3.5 million.