WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. October 6, 2004: The demolition of the vacated storefronts on Main Street began today to clear the way for the Louis Cappelli Renaissance Square Hotel and Condominium project. Bruce Berg, Vice President of Cappelli Enterprises, said a demolition permit has been obtained from the City of White Plains and utilities turned off, and preliminary demolition procedures had begun today.
MOVIN' OUT: A moving van was removing the voluminous papers, notes, and back issues of Suburban Street, some 28 years of records of the White Plains independent news source for a quarter century of James Benerofe, real estate magnate and White Plains premier publisher. The "Benerofe Archives" were being moved out of the Bar Building annex to a new location within the city this morning. Meanwhile a Cappelli Enterprises demolition person can be seen straddling the lowrise roof of the unoccupied shops on Main Street in preparing for the razing of the vacated storefronts to the right of the 1929-vintage Bar Building which will be preserved, and rehabilitated by Mr. Cappelli in cooperation with the Bar Building owners, Anthony and Frank Longhitano. Photo by WPCNR News
Mr. Berg also said that he was in the final stages of completing negotiations with Westin Hotels to run the hotel to be erected on the site occupied by the vacant store fronts, and that will run through to the proposed office building on Hamilton Avenue. Asked if "The Super Dealer," Donald Trump, investor in Trump Tower at City Center, was considering partnering in the hotel, Mr. Berg said he had not knowledge of that at this point, that Mr. Trump was only investing in the City Center at this time.
Berg assured WPCNR that no demolition would begin on the Bar Building Annex while tenants were still occupying that premises. He said the storefronts would be torn down up to the Trump Tower at City Center sales office.
The Trump Tower at City Center Marketing Center will remain. Ruins of old RKO Theater to the left will be razed. Photo by WPCNR News
