White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Puttin' On the Ritz: Cappelli proposes Ritz-Carlton Hotel for City Center

11 O'Clock All News Final Edition 1/22/02,UPDATED 2:00 AM EST, 1-25-02:The Mayor's Office announced Tuesday afternoon that Louis Cappelli, developer of the City Center project approved by the Common Council in September, wants to change the configuration of his twin tower project in the heart of White Plains.

The new City Center plans presented by Mr. Cappelli for the first time to the city Tuesday morning propose to bring a 175-suite, $500-a-night Ritz-Carlton Five Star Hotel to the heart of White Plains. Plans will be presented in detail at 7 PM Thursday during a Common Council work session.

Geoffrey Thompson, spokesman for the Cappelli organization, confirmed to WPCNR Tuesday evening that Cappelli had been "approached" by several major hotel chains about locating to the City Center project. He reports that Mr. Cappelli has struck a "tentative" deal with the 49-hotel Ritz-Carlton chain of luxury hotels, a subsidiary of Marriott Corporation.

New plan turns 150,000 square feet of retail into hotel space

Thompson said that the revised City Center plan will have the proposed Ritz-Carlton fronting on Martine Avenue adjacent to retail loading dock staging area, not abutting the Westchester Arts Council Building. In the previous plan, this South side of the City Center was to be the loading dock entrance for retail.

WILL IT BE THE RITZ-CARLTON WHITE PLAINS or The RITZ-CARLTON WESTCHESTER?

Essentially, Thompson analyzed, Cappelli is asking to transform 150,000 square feet of retail into 150,000 square feet of hotel. This lowers the height of the Main Street side of the City Center by 20 feet. Thompson observed this lowered height increases the attractiveness of the North side residential tower, enabling Cappelli to add 20 apartments, as revealed Thursday evening.

Thompson also confirmed George Gretsas' report from city hall earlier that hotel suites would also take up the first seven stories of the south residential tower on Martine Avenue.

All the amenities.

Thompson advised that the hotel will be U-shaped with a court yard. It will include a ballroom on the street level of the City Center project. The hotel will occupy a U-shape on the Martine Avenue (south side of the complex). The 8-story loft building in the former City Center design, he said, will be eliminated, its space absorbed into part of the hotel.

RITZ-CARLTON, CLEVELAND, a 207-room Ritz-Carlton property in the shadow of Cleveland's Tower demonstrating a U-shaped design. It was built in 1990. Ritz-Carlton has been opening down-sized, satellite hotels around major cities in Miami and Washington, D.C. Their Georgetown Ritz-Carlton, in the District of Columbia scheduled to open this year is a 93-unit "boutique hotel" in a mixed-use project similar to the Cappelli City Center. It will be in a mix of a 3,000 seat movie complex and retail space and also have 30 luxury condominiums attached. Photo from the Ritz-Carlton website.

Cappelli seeks site plan amendment. New approval process would kill the financing.

Thompson reports to WPCNR that Mr. Cappelli will ask the Common Council to accept this plan as a site plan amendment on Thursday evening, during the Common Council work session.

Reported by city Tuesday afernoon.

George Gretsas, the Mayor's Executive Officer, announced the Council meeting today at 5 PM, reporting to WPCNR that the city was notified of the changes Mr. Cappelli would like to make on Tuesday morning. He reported the city departments spent most of the day going over the revised plans received that morning and the Common Council would get their first look at them Thursday night from the "Super Developer" himself.

Amended Site Plan or New Project?

"We're essentially grappling with the issue of whether these changes constitute an 'amended site plan,' or require a full blown new process," Gretsas commented, "It is up to the Common Council to make that decision."

Just a Few Minor Changes.

Mr. Gretsas reported to CNR that the changes "might make it (the City Center) even better."

First, Gretsas said, Mr. Cappelli desires to eliminate one floor of retail from the three floor city center. According to the Executive Officer, the Target Store would stay as part of the project, but where and what floor was not given. Gretsas advised that the plans would be presented in detail Thursday evening. He added that Mr. Cappelli announced he would share some information on his tenants.

Sears Great Indoor Store and Target Still in the Mix

Mr. Thompson declared later Tuesday evening that Target Stores is still "in" the project and so is the Sears Great Indoor Store, ending WPCNR speculation that Sears might have bowed out of the project when we heard that one floor of retail was being eliminated.

Site Plan Amendment Only Way.

WPCNR also speculated earlier that the changing configuration of the project is why Mr.Cappelli has held off sealing his financial arrangement with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Cappelli revealed Thursday evening at City Hall that he was only waiting until the time to file appeals against approval had run out (January 22). Thompson said that the hotel negotiations had nothing to do with the financing, however, he did say that if the Common Council felt an entire new approval review was required, that would doom the financing (and presumably, the project).

Thompson said Tuesday evening the financing would be announced in early February.

Hotel proposed to replace Loft and First Approximate 10 stories of residential Tower.

Gretsas disclosed earlier Tuesday that Mr. Cappelli wanted to change the nature of his two residential towers and 12-story loft building on Martine Avenue. According to Gretsas, the "Super Developer" had cut a deal with a major luxury hotel chain to transform the loft building and the first approximate 10 stories of the Martine residential Tower Two into a posh luxury hotel.

Puttin on the Ritz

If such a major hotel chain is investing its money into the City Center, it raises the question of whether such an image-concious chain would go along with the Beyer Blinder Belle-designed (and approved by the Common Council) Cappelli towers. This could mean major revision of design. We hope to learn more about the design Thursday evening.

One more change: condominiums instead of rentals?

Gretsas reports that Mr. Cappelli desires to change the mix of the two apartment towers into some condominium units, the percentage of condo to rent residential was not revealed. Thompson denied this was being considered when queried about it by WPCNR Tuesday evening.

Thompson concluded by saying the project was right on schedule and the project was expected to be completed by Spring, 2003.

For more information on The Ritz-Carlton chain, visit their website at www.ritz-carlton.com.


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