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Port Chester Developer Revises Proposal For Old United Hospital Site

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. – Starwood Global Development has amended its site plan for the long-vacant United Hospital by reducing the number of residential units from 820 to 730 and committing 41 percent of the 600,298-square-foot site to public space, including a pavilion with 70,000 square feet more of retail.

Ken Narva, right, co-founder and partner of Streetworks, responds to questions from the public on a proposed mixed-use development at the vacant United Hospital.

Ken Narva, right, co-founder and partner of Streetworks, responds to questions from the public on a proposed mixed-use development at the vacant United Hospital.

Photo Credit: Brian Donnelly
The Port Chester Board of Trustees approved a text amendment to village zoning regulations for the southern gateway mixed-use overlay district at 406 Boston Post Road and a modification of the village's official zoning map.

The Port Chester Board of Trustees approved a text amendment to village zoning regulations for the southern gateway mixed-use overlay district at 406 Boston Post Road and a modification of the village's official zoning map.

Photo Credit: Brian Donnelly
Ken Narva presents an amended site plan for the Starwood development at the site of the former United Hospital.

Ken Narva presents an amended site plan for the Starwood development at the site of the former United Hospital.

Photo Credit: Brian Donnelly

The plan would build about 90,000 square feet of retail space throughout the property, a 138-room hotel on the corner of Route 1 and High Street between 100,000 and 200,000 square feet, and a wellness and out-patient medical facility.

“This will be an extension of the best of (Route 1),” said Ken Narva, co-founder and managing partner of Streetworks, the developer on the project. “You’re going to draw another whole group to this site. The difference here is there (will be) a lot outdoor dining.”

Port Chester resident Linda Turturino liked what she heard.

“We don’t want high-rises, we don’t want towers. We’re a village, and we want to keep that uniqueness about us,” she said.

Of the 730 units, 230 will be age-restricted for seniors, and 500 will be geared toward “millenials,” who are born after 1982 and largely single, Narva said. He presented the amended site plan at the Monday, April 21, meeting of the village Board of Trustees.

Those 500 units will include 200 lofts that are about 700 square feet, 100 studio apartments that are 436 square feet, 100 one-bedrooms that are 676 square feet and 100 two-bedrooms that are 908 square feet. The idea is to keep school-age children to a minimum.

“That’s not for me, families, and you wouldn’t be comfortable in that,” Narva, who is 67, said.

While most residents who spoke at the meeting Monday said they like the amended plan better than the previous plan, Bea Conetta, 89, said she doesn’t believe 730 units will only produce 22 school-age children, as Starwood’s application suggests.

“I wish they would reverse it and let the seniors be 500 and condos for millenials be the 200. Then it would be better because no babies come from seniors,” she said to giggles from the audience.

A few residents wanted to know the fate of the 130 affordable housing units at 999 Hyde Park, which Starwood also owns. Narva said, “The building is not sustainable unless gutted.” Currently, 30 percent of those units are occupied.

The board approved a text amendment to the village zoning regulations for the site Monday. It intends to be lead agency on the environmental review, known as SEQRA, which will take 14-18 months to complete. 

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