WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. December 17, 2005:  County Executive Andy Spano has announced the county's intention to house homeless persons overnight at the Department of Social Services building at 85 Court Street on a nightly basis beginning January 10. The location will replace the Westchester County Airport location currently serving such a function. The long-awaited relocation of the airport shelter was announced late in the day Friday afternoon. 

New home to hardcore homeless, announced by the County will be 85 Court Street, next door to the city's poshest evening restaurant, Mulino's -- Westchester's version of  New York City's "21". (The toney bistro is distinguished by its trademark awning with the "M") Photo, WPCNR News.

According to the sketchy details of the plan, (no news release was issued from the prolific County Department of Communications), the homeless who are currently bused from The Galleria to the airport, will now be bused one block to 85 Court Street at 10 P.M. nightly beginning January 10 and bused to the new overnight location, 85 Court Street. Spano said the building once the homeless are inside will be "locked down" every night, but details of the lock-down procedure were not provided.

The Neighborhood, as seen from the Board of Elections Parking lot, site of proposed county senior housing project. Left to right: The County Office Building, Cappelli 4-Star Hotel Site (marked by construction crane), 85 Court Street, and the Mulino's Restaurant.

County Executive Spano in remarks about the shelter, said the 85 Court Street building will be a neighbor of the shelter for the hardcore homeless, which the county defines as persons who "refuse counseling and other social services." One such resident of the airport shelter is alleged to have committed last summer's killing of a woman in The Galleria a block away. The moving of the rest of the Airport Homeless population to the 85 Court Street location is seen at this stage by the County Executive as "an enhancement" because most of the population at the Airport shelter are from White Plains and a counseling center will be set up a block away by Grace Church Community Services.

The 85 Court Street building is next door to the city's most elegant restaurant, Mulino's and one block from Renaissance Plaza Fountain, Starbucks and the future location of Louis Cappelli's 4-Star hotel and condo complex. The location is also within walking distance of County Executive Spano's planned giant senior housing building he plans to build on the parking lot of the former Post Office (now housing the County Board of Elections).

An Enhancement to the Neighborhood.

County Executive Spano made this statement: "This is an enhancement of the neighborhood, because we're not allowing people to roam around the streets, and we're trying to develope situations that get them in our regular program and out of the drop-in center."  (Spano is contracting with Grace Church Community Services to run a counseling and daily gathering center on East Post Post Road, two storefronts down from Open Arms Shelter, where it is expected the homeless from the new 85 Court Street location were expected to migrate each day.

Mayor Opposed.

County Legislator Bill Ryan, Chair of the Board of Legislators, has been contacted to see whether Mr. Ryan approved of this plan, and whether he was informed of the County Executive decision. Tom Roach, President of the White Plains Common Council did not know about it. Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz, contacted at his home by WPCNR for information on how 85 Court Street  was being renovated with amenities to house White Plains newest residents, was at home, but said he would call WPCNR back later in the day. Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains, through his spokesperson, Paul Wood is said to be opposed to the plan. It could not be determined by WPCNR when the city was notified of this plan by the County Executive. 

A staffer at Mulino's Restaurant, where stockbrokers, powerbrokers and the rich and famous and elegant high-heeled women are seen nightly enjoying lavish meals with valet parking services, where the cuisine is superb, tastefully arranged on elegant china, and sharply creased suits are the norm, said she was unaware of the county plan.  

The new location also brings the homeless, who can now walk to it and certainly do not need to be bused one block (details on this are being sought at this time), into the city's slowly reviving downtown and the cached restaurants, Brooklyn's Famous Subs and Pasta, Trotters, Vintage, Legal Seafood and the youth who have given White Plains downtown a new vitality on Friday and Saturday evenings.