WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. December 22, 2005: Avalon Bay Communities, the giant national housing force specializing in luxury apartments introduced plans to build 393-unit,  studio, one and two-bedroom apartments in a 14-story red brick faced T-shaped building fronting on Barker Avenue and Church Street, with a row of Townhouses fronting on Rockledge Avenue and Cottage Place opposite La Reserve condominiums. A Special Permit is required to allow the complex to go to 14 stories.

The Avalon Bay Apartments on the site of the former AT & T Parking Lot at Barker and Church. Photo, WPCNR News.

The View of the Proposed Avalon Bay TownHouses on Rockledge, looking south from Church Street. Photo, WPCNR News.

The luxury units  will contain no retail or services space in the complex. Rents, under close cross-examination by the media were speculated by the developers to range possibly from $3,000 up to $5,000 a month. Frederick Harris the Senior Presenter for Avalon told the Common Council the rents would be determined by the market. Quizzed by the media in the Rotunda, Harris noted top rent for a two-bedroom at The Avalon in New Rochelle was $3,000 and thought White Plains was a market that would command at least that price for its top units and possibly more.

Rachel Loeb, Director of Development said the building would take two years to build at a cost of $120 Million.

The council was told the complex would provide 24 units set aside for "affordable housing" according to city policy in the downtown core district.

The Overhead: The site plan for the Avalon Bay complex on the site of the present AT & T parking lot: The proposed complex is bounded by Church Street (right of picture), Barker (bottom of picture), Cottage Place (left of picture) and Rockledge Terrage. The 14-story building is in the T-Shape at lower half of the complex, the townhouses are the U-shape at top half of complex. The light rectangle is the parking garage to house 579 cars. Photo, WPCNR News.

Avalon Bay, in order to build the complex would need a special permit to go to 14 stories from the 6 stories permitted by present zoning.

Views of Project:

View from Rockledge. Complex is the red/yellow building in center of picture. Photo of computer rendering, WPCNR News

View of Townhouses from Hillside Terrace. Photo of computer rendering by WPCNR News.

View East Down Barker, Reserve Condo building is at left. Photo of Computer Rendering by WPCNR News.