Rebounding Economy Spawns Commercial Development in Mt. Pleasant

More than five years ago, with the country in the throes of a crippling recession, the thought of new development in Westchester County seemed light years away. But in 2014, Mount Pleasant is the latest municipality in the area that is experiencing a commercial construction boom.

There is the Pace University consolidation project, two new office buildings and a parking structure for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Hawthorne and the conversion of a portion of the Legion of Christ property in Valhalla to host a boarding high school. A major renovation of ShopRite in Thornwood also is scheduled to begin within the next few weeks.

“It’s an excellent time for the town,” said Building Inspector Sal Pennelle, who took The Examiner on a recent tour of the four projects.

The work points to an improving economy in Mount Pleasant; the projects have already generated about 300 jobs, and more are expected.

“It’s making contractors and men go to work,” Pennelle said. “There’s plenty of work out here.”

The first phase of Pace’s Master Plan project, which will eventually lead to the closing and anticipated sale of the university’s Briarcliff Manor campus, will see the construction of a one-story environmental center and a storage building for the facility in the northern section of the campus. One of the buildings that make up the current environmental center will be moved to the new location, while the remainder of the current center’s buildings will be demolished, Pennelle said.

The environmental center is scheduled to be completed this summer, said Mark Zych, a project executive with Kirchhoff-Consigli, the construction management firm.

In about two months, construction of the two new student residence halls in the center of the campus will begin.

“(That) is probably the biggest part of the project,” Pennelle said.

Zych said the two new student residence halls will have a combined capacity of 760 students. The student center will be expanded and renovated to provide additional dining and student services space.

Bill Link, Pace’s director of physical plants, said the project was important to the future of the college.

“This is a major step,” Link said. “It will help build a lot of campus spirit. Right now, these students feel disconnected. They live in Briarcliff, but all the activities are over here in Pleasantville.”

The project is scheduled for completion by September 2016, Link said, adding that the Briarcliff campus is on the market.

BioMed Realty, the property owner at 777 Saw Old Mill River Rd. where the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals project is being built, is constructing two five-story office buildings. Work on a new four-story parking garage with 765 spaces will soon commence.

Pennelle said the two office buildings will be used for research. All three structures are scheduled to open in summer 2015, he said.

“Basically, we’re building a cold, hard shell,” said Ronald Salvatore, assistant project manager for construction company C.W. Brown Inc. The two office buildings will be “completely enclosed” and another contractor will be responsible for the interior construction, he said.

For years, town officials have wanted the Legion of Christ property on Columbus Avenue to be returned to the tax rolls. When EF International bought the property last year, that wish was realized. Since March the school has been in the process of making internal renovations to transform existing buildings into a boarding school for high school students. EF International will move its high school program from Tarrytown to the site for the start of the next school year.

The two buildings, which were originally built by IBM when the corporation owned the property to house staff during training, will be converted into classrooms, offices and sleeping quarters, Pennelle said. The Legion of Christ used the facilities as a seminary for about 75 priests prior to moving out about three months ago, he said.

The ShopRite renovation at the Thornwood Town Center on Broadway will see a complete remake of the store, Pennelle said. The supermarket’s deli counter will be moved and a new bakery will be created from two adjacent storefronts, an existing framing gallery and a vacant space that had housed a beauty parlor, he said. A new cooler will be built for ShopRite’s products and a generator will be installed outside.

The area under the store’s overhang in front is going to be enclosed with a glass vestibule, he added. ShopRite will also build an enclosed facility where bottles and cans are recycled at the south end of the store, Pennelle said.

The ShopRite renovation will begin in May and take about six months to complete. The store will remain open while the project is taking place, Pennelle said.