Former Nursing Home May Become Multifamily Apartment Complex
The vacant building at 37 DeKalb Ave., a former 65-bed nursing home, is slated for a makeover to multi-family housing if a new Special Permit use is added to the R2-2.5 Zoning District in White Plains.
The White Plains Planning Board reviewed the Zoning amendment proposal at its Feb. 19 meeting. The White Plains Common Council is the lead agency for the Zoning District change.
The two-story building at Carhart and DeKalb, which has been vacant for over eight years, would be renovated, preserving the existing structure, to accommodate 21 multi-family rental units and the addition of a third floor.
William Null, attorney for the applicant, 37 DeKalb Owner, LLC, said the nursing home had been a permitted use in the district, but multi-family housing is not, and since the existing building would be upgraded, the project is an adaptive reuse of the 19,100 sq.-ft. property. Utilities had been disconnected and the interior structure of the building had been stripped because the property had become a gathering place for vagrants.
Null further indicated that the request for the zoning change would also apply to three other non-legally conforming properties in the White Plains R2-2.5 district, operating as multi-family housing, and bring them into compliance with the zoning ordinance. The zoning change would not apply to new buildings or new development projects within the district on vacant sites.
The proposed building design includes development of the basement into an amenities area for residents. The first floor would include a lobby and parking garage, and the second and third floors would accommodate studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
The proposed design for the third floor includes a setback of the dwelling units and a terrace around the entire building.
The developer indicated there was no target market yet established for the building.
The Planning Board agreed the proposal had the necessary elements in place for the Common Council to schedule a public hearing on the zoning change.
