Assisted Living Developer Donates $25G to No. Castle for New Eagle
The developer of the new assisted living facility being built in Armonk has contributed $25,000 to the Town of North Castle to pay for the complete refurbishment of the town’s signature eagle.
The Engel Burman Group, which is building the 140-unit Bristal Assisted Living on Business Park Drive, has agreed to come up with the money to replace the 40-foot high deteriorating wood structure near the intersection of routes 22 and 128, Councilwoman Diane DiDonato-Roth announced at last week’s town board meeting.
“It looks like our icon will be saved for the future and this time it’ll be made of metal,” she said.
The dimensions and the color design will remain exactly the same as the current eagle, but consist of aluminum, DiDonato-Roth said. There will be a small plaque placed near the base of the structure, likely off to the left side of the garden, to recognize the sponsor, she said. It will read “The Bristal Assisted Living Eagle Sponsor.”
DiDonato-Roth said the white sign with blue lettering will be the same size and shape as the new Welcome to North Castle signs that will be placed at several entry points to town. The welcome to town signs are scheduled to be unveiled shortly.
Earlier this year, an eagle restoration committee formed and announced plans to raise money to replace the eagle. The structure was erected in 1976 by community volunteers to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial. It was replaced once before, about 10 years ago, but has once again fallen into a state of disrepair.
In March, when members of the restoration committee addressed the town board, one community member held a piece of wood that fell to the ground.
Supervisor Howard Arden thanked the Engel Burman Group for stepping up and pledging to replace one of the town’s most recognizable symbols.
”That’s really the benefit of having these new businesses come into town,” said Supervisor Howard Arden. “They’re very community spirited, so it’s great to get that eagle fixed up.”
Also, earlier this year, Arden announced that an anonymous patron had donated new LED lighting to more effectively illuminate the eagle and flag during the nighttime hours. The lights will help save the town an estimated 80 percent of the electricity costs associated with the eagle.
The eagle has been a popular spot over the years for the town to post signs of events of community organizations.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
