Galleria Redevelopment
The Galleria Mall was the product of the Urban Renewal period that spanned approximaltey 30 years from 1949 - 1979 (https://whiteplainslibrary.org/2016/11/local-history-blog-urban-renewal-collection/) . The Galleria Mall opened to much fanfare in 1980. Despite its history of displacement of racial minorities and lower income households, it was a retail success until recent years.
What the citizens of White Plains know as the operational Galleria Mall was actually multiple parcels of land under different ownership functioning as a singular unit. In other words, the Macy’s building was owned by Macys. The balance of the retail space, including the Sears store, was owned by a retail mall company. The parking structure serving the Galleria Mall was and still is owned by the City of White Plains.
The owner of the retail stores, excluding Macy’s, sold to a California based redeveloper. Separately, Macy’s also sold to the same California based redeveloper. This created a singular ownership for all of the retail space; however, the parking garage, which is about one third of the overall total site boudned by Court Street, Main Street, Lexington Ave, and Martine Ave, is still owned by the City of White Plains.
In the fall of 2022, the California redeveloper posted a conceptual drawing on their website that showed a redevelopment of the Galleria Mall INCLUSIVE of the City owned parking structure. Here is that conceptual drawing:
After seeing this conceptual drawing, CAWS had many questions and concerns, not the least of which were:
How much affordable housing is included?
How can an out-of-State developer presume to build on City owned property?
Where is the open space?
What will this do to affordable-local retail in White Plains?
In response, CAWS engaged with the developer and with the City of White Plains. In particular, CAWS met with Mayor Roach and Commissioner Gomez. Separately, CAWS met with The Cappelli Organization (as local representative for the California developer).
The meeting with the Mayor and the Commissioner was frustrating. We were not received warmly. The tone and atmosphere were set by the Mayor inviting the City Legal Counsel to the meeting and starting the meeting with a “so, what do you want to talk about?” The Mayor and Commissoner were very aware of what we wanted to discuss as we made it clear in advance.
Nonetheless, we opened a dialogue by stating that CAWS supports the redevelopment of the Galleria as the retail mall was tired and had run its course. However, we did not support what was shown in the conceptual drawing. We specifically asked the following:
How far along is the developer in discussions with the City?
Do the Mayor and Commissioner support this proposed redevelopment?
Does the Mayor support the general proposition that affordable housing, affordable-local retail, open space, and union labor must be a part of any redevelopment of the Galleria site?
We received no substantive or meaningful responses from the Mayor or Commissioner. The Mayor would only say “I will not comment on a matter until an official application is filed.” We responded with something to the effect of “but you are in talks with the developer and have been for a year or more, right?” That went unanswered, which we took as a tacit acknowledgment.
We then went onto ask that CAWS be included in the dialogue as representatives of the good people of White Plains. We reminded the Mayor and Commissioner that we are not opposed to the redevelopment, but we are opposed to this specific conceptual drawing. We were told “no” - we would not be includued in any dialogue until an official application is filed. Out of frustration, we stated something like “so this will just be a done deal behind closed doors because we all know that once an application is actually filed the deal is done.” This really upset the Mayor, but he never explained why.
It became apparent that our message and concerns were, at least in part, being heard. The developer presented a dramatically redesigned conceptual plan to the Common Council on September 27, 2023. That revised plan is this:
One can clearly see the dramatic and beneficial changes from the original conceptual drawing. There is far more open space. However, questions and challenges remain, such as:
By what right does the developer presume the ability to demolish and build on the City owned parking structure along Martine Ave?
How much affordable housing will be included in these towers?
How does this get built when the site is zone for enclosed retail mall with a maximum height of 90’?
What type of affordable-local retail is included?
Will this be built with union labor?
We continue to pursue these questions, but we also continue to be stonewalled by the Mayor, the Commissioner, and the developer (Cappelli). Our discussions with The Cappelli Orgnaiztion resulted in Cappelli asking CAWS to put a hold on its FOIL (Freedome of Information Law) requests, stop or alter our media outreach, and do research for him on affordable housing. CAWS complied and in response, CAWS presented a framework Community Benefits Agreement and asked that the Framework be agreed to before the expiration of our FOIL request freeze which was about 1 week after submission of the Framework. It has been crickets between CAWS and Cappelli since we asked Cappelli to confirm, in writing, its commitment to affordable housing, affordable retail, open space, and union labor; however, understand it has been anything but crickets between Cappelli and Mayor Roach. They are planning in their proverbial back room and keeping all of the good citizens of White Plains in the dark.
We need your voices - the good citizens of White Plains - to speak up and speak out before it’s too late. If not pushed and pressured, CAWS is reasonably sure that something closely resembling this conceptual drawing will be built, but with little to no affordable housing, little to no affordable-local retain, a privately owned and controlled open space area, and no union labor.
