Westchester Nears Deal on Italian Trade Center

According to a county spokesperson, officials with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which is sponsored by the Italian Center for Commercial Affairs and Comitato Tricolore, are initially looking at possible locations in Yonkers, White Plains and Port Chester. The Italian Trade Center would require more than 10,000 sf of space, according to Westchester County officials.

Ministry representatives met with Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano and Salvatore Carrera, economic development director, Monday at the county's offices in White Plains. County officials say that a letter of agreement between the ministry and the county on finalizing a deal to bring the Trade Center to Westchester is close.

"An Italian trade and cultural center would be great business for Westchester. Products would be imported from throughout Italy and made available locally – on both a wholesale and retail basis," Spano says. "This is certainly an idea worth exploring and we need to talk more about how it could be carried out and where."

Spano adds that the Italian Trade Center project wouldn't involve any county funding. Enzo Pizzimenti, chief executive officer of ICCA, states that Italy's central government is backing the proposal, which would be the only such center in the US. Others are being planned for China, Central America and the Balkans.

"This center would involve Italian products and services as well as tourism and would benefit local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and other merchants," Pizzimenti says.

This fall, Spano and a delegation of government and business officials traveled to Italy on a trade mission. During the trip the county set up a Westchester Desk in Milan, which operates out of ICCA's offices and promotes business and cultural opportunities between various Italian regions and Westchester County.