News
YONKERS GOING BONKERS
September 15, 2008
| We know that may not be original, but how else to describe a total overhaul there thanks to the partnership between developers Struever (Baltimore), Fidelco (New Jersey), and Cappelli (White Plains)? The partnership commissioned architects EE&K in New York to create the Yonkers Conceptual Development plan, a comprehensive vision for the city's downtown. |
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| When we popped in on EE&K leading lady Hilary Kinder Bertsch at161 Ave. of the Americas, Hilary was concerned about our apparent lack of knowledge, so she gave us a little background lesson: Yonkers is the 4th largest city in New York, and the redevelopmentinvolves 500 acres of land, and a plan to uncover the Saw Mill River (being funded by New York State) which is currently hidden underground. EE&K has been dabbling in the area since 1990, including a 1996 waterfront masterplan. Now they're back again, and officially underway with Phase 1 of the Development Plan. |
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| Hilary showed us some very small-scale models of Palisades Point, due to be the premier residential building with panoramic views of the Hudson. The 25-story towers will have 436 units, 10K SF of retail, and waterfront esplanade and surrounding public, open space. Also underway is the Carnegie Building, mixed-use that will be half hotel, half municipal offices. Struever Fidelco Cappelli is buildingRiver Park Center, mixed-use space with 500K SF of retail, 175K SF office, 200K SF entertainment and restaurant and 950 residential units. The roof of the parking garage serves as a 6500-seat minor league baseball stadium. Hilary estimates that these three Phase 1 projects should be wrapped up in the next five years. |
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| Lawrence Fabbrioni (left) and Michael Imranyi have also been involved in the Yonkers design work. Dubious after our Yonkers exam, she wants us to know that basically everything is on the waterfront, familiar territory for EE&K Architects, which is known for work at Battery Park City in New York. Other successful waterfront projects, such as Baltimore Inner Harbor, have won the firm two other current commissions in this project type: the San Pedro Waterfront in Los Angeles, and the Southwest Waterfront in Washington. For Hilary, an avid roller blader in Central Park, this means creating miles and miles of more boardwalk space for her favorite hobby. She's also just came back from a tour of Italy, including Venice, but we don't think she roller bladed there. |
