Some White Plains residents have raised concerns about the future of the shuttered Galleria Mall.
The City’s mayor has said the building will likely be torn down. However, the developer on the project has yet to submit any official plans.
Despite the lack of plans, a new group called the Coalition for Addition Without Subtraction is worried the space will end up including luxury apartments too expensive for locals to afford.
"My own children had to stay with me until they were in their 30s, and they had to move out of White Plains,” said CAWS member Valeria Simmons.
Members of CAWS want the 870,000-square-foot mall to be transformed into a mixed use commercial and residential development including at least 25% affordable housing units. They also want the project to utilize local labor unions.
"Oftentimes, the city gives tax incentives to the developer as well. If the city is giving that to the developer, we feel there should be public benefit in the development. Something to serve the citizens,” said Benjamin Brown of White Plains.
California-based Pacific Retail Capital Partners is working with two other developers who are reimagining the space.
"The amount that is at stake here is huge. It’s incredibly consequential what they do with this,” said Brown.