White Plains, NY In what would be one of the largest conversions of an enclosed shopping mall into open space, mixed-use residential and retail in the New York metropolitan tri-state region, Pacific Retail Capital Partners (PRCP), The Cappelli Organization, SL Green Realty Corp., and Aareal Bank, owners of The Galleria at White Plains, presented a plan to the common council. A key first step for the redevelopment, spanning multiple city blocks in the downtown.
The project would eliminate the vacant and outmoded 43-year-old retail mall and reimagines a new future for the downtown area, connecting the community to much-needed transit-oriented housing.
The multi-billion-dollar District Galleria presentation is the culmination of more than seven years of review and master planning and features seven residential towers of varied heights with up to 3,200 apartments, of which 384 would be designated as affordable, in accordance with the city’s affordable rental housing regulations. The buildings would combine technology and building systems with amenity based/community needs for the residential units including fitness, grocery, dining, professional and personal services. The District Galleria is being designed as a sustainable project, meeting the silver LEED standard.
Nearly half of the project’s footprint is designated as open space, creating a quarter mile-long green promenade complete with pet playgrounds, pocket parks, and landscaping. The District Galleria features a garden promenade designed to link the adjacent neighborhoods at eight different access points.
The redevelopment of the Galleria site would align with the city’s strategic plan to expand transit-oriented development. The project aims to enhance the city’s skyline with buildings of varied heights to maximize views and create a light filled and landscaped place of natural beauty and elevated design.
Annemarie Plenge, executive vice president of design for PRCP, is the master architectural designer of the project. Plenge brings more than 25 years of experience master planning large-scale mixed-use projects and is collaborating with architectural design and planning firm Gensler, along with Kimley Horn and Eric Rain Landscape Architecture.
“Experience driven mixed-use environments appeal to people’s desire for connection and belonging. They are poised to be the key in reviving our communities’ urban centers. The evolution of an enclosed mall to an open-air mixed-use development with the unified vision of The District Galleria is pivotal in evolving real estate for the next generation,” said Najla Kayyem, executive vice president for Pacific Retail Capital Partners.
In 2022, Pacific Retail and Aareal Bank developed a joint venture partnership to undertake the redevelopment of this iconic landmark destination with two of the most prominent players in the White Plains and NYC Metro real estate market: SL Green Realty Corp. and the Cappelli Organization. The two partners bring extensive local multi-family and office experience to the partnership.
“As an urban renewal project that began more than 50 years ago, the reimagining of this property is integral to the transformation of Downtown White Plains, which began in earnest over 20 years ago with City Center. The District Galleria will go a long way in making our local community more enjoyable, desirable, sustainable, and resilient,” said chief executive officer/founder of the Cappelli Organization, Louis Cappelli.
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