Ossining Issues Main Street RFP

OSSINING, NY-Working in conjunction with Jonathan Rose & Companies, the Village of Ossining has sent out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of a section of its historic Main Street area.

Village officials say that the site to be developed was cleared by the village in 2002 after a 1994 fire destroyed several 19th Century buildings.

“The RFP is the cornerstone of a larger effort by village officials to encourage private investment for the redevelopment of the community,” says Jonathan Rose, president of Jonathan Rose & Companies, a Katonah, N.Y.-based firm that specializes in urban revitalization projects. “By providing access to under-utilized parcels such as the Main Street site, and by providing revitalization projects through a fair and open review and approval process, developers will be confident investing their resources in Ossining,” he adds.

The proposed site has approximately 97 feet of frontage along a pedestrian corridor with an average depth of approximately 140 feet, village officials note.

“This is a prime Main Street site with proximity to parking, restaurants, cafes and other businesses in the neighborhood,” says Lynn McCrum, director of Community Development for the village. “The release of the RFP marks the beginning of a new phase in Ossining’s initiative to re-build its historic downtown.”

A linchpin to the downtown revitalization effort is Cappelli Enterprises’ $40 million Harbor Square project. The mixed-use development, which will feature 180 rental apartment units, 14,167 sf of retail space and 375 parking spaces, is currently in the approval process with the village.

The criteria for selecting a developer for the Main Street site will include the proposal’s capacity “to contribute to the overall economic and social vitality of the downtown area and the village as a whole.”

Village officials say that they envision a mixed-use building that is architecturally sensitive to the surrounding historic buildings as the best use for the property.

Responses to the RFP are due by August 12, 2002. The Village of Ossining intends to select a developer and complete negotiations with the firm by the late fall of this year.