AvalonBay Communities, a new member of the Business Council of Westchester, has begun construction on a $77 million, 143-unit, mixed-use apartment community next to the Metro-North station in Harrison.
The project will include construction of 27,000 square feet of retail space, plus two parking garages for residents, commuters and the public.
Metro-North reached an agreement on the sale of the parcel of property to AvalonBay in April, allowing construction to begin. This transit-oriented development project will be the first of its kind in the railroad’s system, according to the MTA.
“We are delighted to be proceeding with what promises to be a transformative project for Metro-North commuters and for the Town and Village of Harrison,” Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad, said in a statement. “When it’s fully realized, this green project will create a vibrant, walkable community, both reducing a reliance on cars and enhancing the existing village hub. Our customers will have a much easier time finding parking at the station, and Harrison residents can enjoy new shopping options and an enlivened downtown. We hope this type of suburban transit-oriented development becomes a model for communities throughout the MTA region.”
Housed on a 3.28-acre site on the south side of the station along Halstead Avenue, the development intends to spark a downtown rebirth, serving as a catalyst for the revitalization of the Town/Village of Harrison.
The project will feature a housing complex with 143 units, seven of which are affordable units for qualified residents.
The current surface parking lot will be replaced by a series of pedestrian-oriented, four-story buildings lined with retail stores on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors
A mixed-use building at the eastern end of the site will create a vibrant streetscape with direct entry for several town home units and residential amenities at street level.
Its interior and upper stories will provide 598 spaces of structured parking, of which at least 475 would be reserved for the public and commuters, an 85% increase over the 257 Metro-North-owned parking spaces that exist today.
An additional 187 parking spaces for residents and 96 for retail customers will be located in another parking structure behind the first floor of the mixed retail/residential buildings on the western end of the site.
Matthew Whalen, AvalonBay Senior Vice President for Development, spoke at a recent groundbreaking, saying in a statement: “It took a great deal of persistence and patience to arrive at this day. I want to thank Mayor Belmont and the executives at Metro-North for their support and encouragement throughout the process. We understand the importance of genuine partnership not only during the pre-construction and construction phases but going forward as well. AvalonBay intends to be a good corporate citizen here in Harrison, as we have been everywhere else in the New York metro area.”
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