New York Construction Report staff writer
Southern Land Company has announced the start of construction on Juliette, a luxury apartment complex with 177 units in White Plains.
The $100 million project includes constructing Juliette as well as providing financial support for the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester.
Named after former White Plains resident Olivia Juliette Hooker, the first African American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, Juliette will include 177 luxury rental units.
“The site of this development has an important, storied past. It was home to the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester facilities since 1928—facilities that eventually required costly repairs to remain operational,” Tim Downey, founder and CEO of SLC wrote on social media following the June 24 ground-breaking.
“We knew if we were going to purchase the land, we were going to become true partners of the YMCA and help them secure a new home so they could continue to serve the community.”
Previously, the YMCA was housed in a building that required expensive upkeep at 250 Mamaroneck Avenue. The YMCA has moved to 148 Hamilton Avenue in White Plains where it will continue to serve the community through a multi-year agreement with SLC.
The new, larger facility to White Plains will ensure the YMCA continues serving the community through a multi-year agreement with SLC.
SLC and the local YMCA’s ongoing partnership was established in 2019 and has proven to be fruitful for both groups.
“The YMCA was approached by several developers looking to make much needed renovations to a building that has been a part of the downtown community since 1928,” said YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester President and CEO Cynthia Delfino.
“When Southern Land Company presented us with their plans for the building and a promise to support the YMCA financially through the transition process, we knew it was the best choice for us and the community. We are excited by how this collaborative effort will propel the YMCA forward in its ‘Y Without Walls’ mission.”
At the start of the process of exploring other financially prudent locations and facilities for the YMCA, the YMCA and SLC proactively enlisted the expertise of the Housing Action Council to secure new places of residence for tenants who were occupying the building. Through these efforts, residents were reconnected with family members or matched with facilities equipped to meet their individual needs.
“I commend the YMCA and Southern Land Company’s foresight in bringing the Housing Action Council on board to provide assistance to the building’s residents in finding alternative living arrangements,” said Housing Action Council Executive Director Rosemarie Noonan. “Thanks to their due diligence, all residents were advised and matched with housing options best suited for their lifestyles.”
The Juliette will include a courtyard area featuring a pool, spa, garden terrace, BBQ grill, outdoor fireplace, lounging area, and bicycle storage as well as a pet spa, a bicycle repair shop/work studio, a resident lounge, and a meeting space.
The downtown White Plains location is close to shopping, schools, healthcare facilities, and recreational sites. The apartment neighbourhood will have access to Grand Central Terminal, JFK, La Guardia, and Newark airports, as well as two Metro-North stations, the Bee-Line, major roads, and the Westchester County Airport.
“This project will provide needed housing in the downtown and add to the vitality of the area by supporting small businesses, restaurants, and retail,” said White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach. “Southern Land Company will be paying more than $3 million to the City’s affordable housing fund and more than $500,000 to our Parks and Recreation fund as part of the project. They have been a community partner from the beginning of the project and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.”
Apparently the Mayor and Common council has forgotten about the community that has lived in White Plains for over 25 years and are just pushing us out like we don’t exist! We went as far as we could afford now we live in our car. I’ve never seen so many building permits approved and so many buildings built in record time. Since Cappelli promised a certain amount of affordable units with approval for the Ritz Carlton and that promise was broken I don’t think the blueprint’s ever existed! I believe the affordable units were promised where Planet Fitness is and Cambria Suite’s are on Main St. Now the YMCA is gone which was not just a very difficult place to get a room hundreds of toddlers depended on the child care program’s they offered so the Parents could work. We have ask every organization that helps people who are having difficulty finding a job that pays enough to pay the rent, utilities and food on the table. The woman I’ve waited a lifetime to meet has stuck with me since we began dating 10 years ago. We are working people looking for a jumpstart we have no desire to live on public assistance like people who are physically able to work and choose to live on section 8 for as long as possible and it’s becoming a lifestyle passed on for three generations I don’t understand why Westchester allow’s “TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE” can last for three generations Grandma, Daughter, and Grandchildren what kind of message does that send to younger generations? It definitely isn’t a good one! All we’ve been asking for is a jumpstart and enough time to find employment that we will be successful in and then we want to be self sufficient. It’s difficult to interview for a potential job when you haven’t showered in a month sometimes more sometimes less. We barely get by on the skin of our teeth. We’ve been in a car for 7 winter’s and every time we think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel it ends up being a freight train. Please we need help it’s not healthy living this way and watching all of these wealthy people move into a City we loved since we came here. At the speed of construction one can’t help to think how much money is delivered under the table for expedited building permits and rapid certificates of occupancy? That’s my personal feelings I have no proof of any inappropriate activity and I truly hope that there isn’t any but I would like to know how Cappelli got away with not building the affordable housing units that he promised to build and never came through? White Plains please don’t abandon the people who are being priced right out of the City we have become accustomed to and feel safe in. Living in the car I had a semi automatic pistol pointed at my head and was told to get out or you’re dead. My fiancé is disabled she has cerebral palsy and rely’s on her car to get everywhere she can’t even use a bus because as some know buses always pull off before all passengers have found a seat. I never wanted to write anything about our situation in a public forum because it’s embarrassing and most likely going to fall on deaf ears we have hit a wall and have been to every place suggested to us and either the list is full or we get some other b s as to why we can’t get any assistance. To our elected Officials please help us get on our feet then we can take if from there.