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White Plains Apt. Project Delayed By Affordable Housing

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Before the city can approve a 56-unit apartment building at 8-14 DeKalb Ave., the applicant must decide how many units it will make available as affordable housing.

The White Plains Common Council is considering the site plan for a five-story, 56-unit apartment building at 8-14 DeKalb Ave.

The White Plains Common Council is considering the site plan for a five-story, 56-unit apartment building at 8-14 DeKalb Ave.

Photo Credit: La Gianna, LLC
La Gianna LLC presents its site plan for a residential building to the White Plains Common Council.

La Gianna LLC presents its site plan for a residential building to the White Plains Common Council.

Photo Credit: Brian Donnelly

The application, made by La Gianna LLC, is for a five-story, 58-foot residential building with 24 two-bedroom, 28 one-bedroom and four studio apartments, and 76 parking spaces. 

The White Plains Affordable Rental Housing Program requires larger residential multifamily buildings to set aside either 10 percent of units for those who make 80 to 100 percent of the median household income for the area, or six percent of units to families that make 60 to 79 percent of the median income. The city planning department has recommended the applicant, La Gianna, LLC., offer 10 percent of its units as affordable housing. 

The Common Council adjourned a public hearing on the matter Monday to give the applicant time to decide on that, as well as other recommendations. The hearing will be continued at its next meeting March 4. A public hearing was required because some of the site qualifies as steep slopes, requiring the applicant to apply for a special permit for the site plan.

"I’m very glad to see that this project is actually moving forward," council member Ben Boykins said. "I’m also pleased to know that this has been down scaled from 89 units to 56 units."

The site plan was originally approved as a 12-story, 125-foot tall residence with 86 units in February 2006 under a different applicant, BNE Investors. The site was to be known as “The Metropolitan.” However, as the sub-prime mortgage crisis hit, money dried up and the applicant did not follow through. It did, however, seek and was permitted one-year extensions each of the following years.

“We know what happened in ‘08, the market absolutely crashed out and nothing was happening any place,” Boykin said.

In 2012, La Gianna bought the property from BNE. It scaled down the project and commenced with plans.

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