Lead Stories, News

Town finalizes first in wave of Halstead TOD projects

A recently approved project on Halstead Avenue will join a wave of redevelopment projects sweeping downtown Harrison, as one of the first in a string of transit-oriented development proposals to receive final approval.

Transit oriented development, TOD, has been a prominent form of development in Harrison over the last several years, appealing to residents who commute to work via mass transit. Since 2012, developers have proposed at least four TOD projects along Halstead Avenue, including the centerpiece of the entire movement, The AvalonBay project proposed on the site of the current Metro-North parking lot.

“Transit oriented [development] is perfect for Harrison because [the downtown area is]so close to the train station,” said David Gross, the owner, developer and architect of 241-247 Halstead Ave. “We think it’s an appropriate apartment for an empty nester or a young adult looking to start their life in Westchester that can’t afford a house.”

The mixed-use building proposed at 241-247 Halstead Ave. would have 3,000 square feet of retail space and 19 one- and two-bedroom apartments. It is one of several proposed iterations of transit-oriented development on Halstead Avenue. File photo
The mixed-use building proposed at 241-247 Halstead Ave. would have 3,000 square feet of retail space and 19 one- and two-bedroom apartments. It is one of several proposed iterations of transit-oriented development on Halstead Avenue. File photo

The property at 241-247 Halstead Ave. is less than a quarter of a mile from Harrison’s Metro-North Railroad station; but a 19-unit TOD development could eventually have to compete with a much larger long-awaited project directly on the site of the current Metro-North parking lot.

The proposed AvalonBay development on Metro-North-owned property has been in the works since 2012, and is currently before the Planning Board, where developers are seeking a zoning change to allow the project to move forward in a business district.

That development would be the cornerstone of Harrison’s TOD push, as it would feature three 4-story mixed-use buildings and two pedestrian plazas, totaling 143 luxury apartment units. Those units would include 76 one-bedrooms, 59 two-bedrooms and eight three-bedrooms; a total of seven units would be set aside as affordable housing. That development would also include the construction of a parking garage with 751 spaces, most of which would be reserved for commuters.

Following a potential zoning change, AvalonBay would still require additional approvals from the town of Harrison, Westchester County and New York state as well as an approval from the MTA.

While the project has not yet secured all of the necessary approvals, it has already attracted other developers and investors into the town, according to Councilman Steve Malfitano, a Republican.

“The degree of confidence that prospective investors have in our business district has increased immeasurably over the last couple of years in direct response to the Metro-North transit-oriented development 3.3-acre site,” Malfitano told the Review.

The councilman added that he expects to see that confidence continue to build as the AvalonBay project nears approval and, down the line, completion, explaining that a mixed-use building on that property would spur the development of housing complexes hoping to take advantage of the businesses at AvalonBay, and the development of retailers hoping to capitalize on a new customer base in the hundreds living in the apartments constructed at that site.

Gross said that the increase in TODs would likely bring about an increase in retailers and restaurants on Halstead Avenue, but added, “Our project is moving forward with or without the train station project.”