OSSINING, NY-In a way it was perhaps not at all unexpected that a lawsuit would be filed by some opponents of the project on the day its developers were celebrating the launch of the controversial $78-million venture. Joint venture partners Cappelli Enterprises and Ginsburg Development Corp., both based in Valhalla, held a ceremonial groundbreaking for One Harbor Square, a mixed-use waterfront development to be built on the Ossining waterfront. As village officials and the developers celebrated, opponents of the project served papers in a last ditch attempt to derail the development. A spokesman for the developers says the court case will most likely have no impact on the construction timetable for the project.
The waterfront revitalization initiative took nearly nine years from when Cappelli Enterprises was first selected as the designated developer to now. This past September, Cappelli brought on GDC prior to the final Village Board vote that allowed the project to break ground. The project will feature 150 market-rate condominiums, 10,000 sf of retail and restaurant space as well as a waterfront park and other Hudson River-related amenities.
Alluding to the protracted time it took to get the project approved, Louis Cappelli, president of Cappelli Enterprises, said, "I've heard the statement that 'if something isn't a struggle, then really it is not worth fighting for' and I would say to all of you that this was a struggle. But, I can assure that in its present form today it was well worth fighting for."
He noted that the One Harbor Square project was "subjected to the most extensive environmental review of any project I have ever been involved with." Before construction can begin, the site will be cleared of abandoned industrial buildings and debris, including the removal of underground oil tanks. Work is expected to start shortly on the environmental remediation work that will also include the removal of contaminated soil and asbestos in the old buildings after which the demolition and site clearing can be done. Construction of One Harbor Square will begin this spring and is expected to take 18 months to 24 months to complete.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.