Council Bonds $17.5M For Lyon Place Garage

Applauding the project as a win for both the city and local business owners, the White Plains Common Council voted at Monday night's meeting to bond $17.5 million to tear down and rebuild the Lyon Place garage.

The city will buy the garage, located at Lyon Place and Waller Avenue, from for $0, tear it down and re-build a 7 - 8 story garage in its place.

The common council expressed confidence that the garage will be self-sustaining, generating approximately $200,000 in revenue every year. The council expects the garage will eventually pay for itself while providing needed parking for businesses in the area that have struggled in the nearly two years since the garage closed.

Several business owners thanked the council for their decision Monday, describing their struggles to attract customers because of limited parking during that time.

"The parking situation in conjunction with the recession just killed a lot of guys," said Andy Kimerling, owner of  on East Post Road. "This is terrific, this is like starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

The current parking structure is 45 years old. The city has leased the first two floors of the lot for $0 since 1983, but it was closed due to poor conditions and lack of maintenance in June 2010.

Reconstructing the garage will give the city the opportunity to build a better-lit, safer, garage with additional parking spaces without adding to the city's current parking footprint, said Mayor Thomas Roach.

"This gives us the opportunity to construct a garage that will make people more comfortable," said Roach. 

The new garage will have a total of 650 spaces. Esplanade will be able to use 160 spaces in the new garage on two floors and will share the operating expenses.

"This is a really good showing that a public-private partnership can be to the benefit of everyone," said Councilman Benjamin Boykin.

Finalizing an agreement on a new structure has been in the works for a while now. that addressing the issue was one of his first priorities when taking office.

The council voted to approve the bond unanimously, welcomed news for business owners in the area, mostly mom-and-pop stores excited about the projected boost in business.

"It's going to be great for business," said Kevin Nunn, executive director of the White Plains business improvement district. "They really need this garage."