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Renderings Show Chappaqua Crossing Retail Buildings

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- Renderings showing the proposed retail buildings for Chappaqua Crossing were recently presented to New Castle Town Board members.

A pair of renderings showing the proposed Whole Foods, top, and retail shops for Chappaqua Crossing, bottom.

A pair of renderings showing the proposed Whole Foods, top, and retail shops for Chappaqua Crossing, bottom.

Photo Credit: The Monroe Partnership
A pair of renderings, top and bottom, showing rows of proposed retail buildings for Chappaqua Crossing.

A pair of renderings, top and bottom, showing rows of proposed retail buildings for Chappaqua Crossing.

Photo Credit: The Monroe Partnership

The renderings, commissioned by site owner Summit/Greenfield, were done by The Monroe Partnership. David Ball, a principal with the architectural firm, presented several watercolor-style renderings and several that were computer generated.

Retail buildings for the project include Georgian architecture as an inspiration, Ball explained, which was derived from the site's existing cupola building. Ball also pointed to downtown Chappaqua's architecture as an example.

One caveat that came up during the presentation is that renderings do not completely represent the finished product, as fewer trees are displayed, and in one case a residential structure is not shown. These omissions were done in order to give better views of the proposed buildings, according to Ball and Andrew Tung, whose firm does planning work for the developer.

The renderings were met with positive feedback from Town Board members, who saw the presentation at their March 10 meeting.

“I think it looks great," said Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein.

The supervisor also expressed support for keeping the retail area's architecture consistent with the cupola building.

“You certainly have done that,” he said.

Councilman Adam Brodsky replied, “you made a lot of progress.”

Brodsky also reiterated a call he previously made for the buildings' material to be high quality. He also expressed concern about the back design of a structure, calling it "problematic." Brodsky's critque was in response to a desire from the board to make sure that the backs of the structures have some aesthetic similarities to their fronts.

For his part, Ball expressed receptiveness to Brodsky's response.

“I understand what you’re saying,” he said, calling it "good feedback."

Deputy Supervisor Lisa Katz, who has been an outspoken skeptic of the retail proposal, also have supportive words for the the building styles.

"I do appreciate all the work you put in,” she said.

The Town Board voted 4-1 in December to allow retail zoning at the site. Katz was the only dissenting vote on the matter. However, the board deferred voting on a pair of legislative items needed for the project, which were the subject of public hearings on March 10.

At the meeting, board members continued the public hearing of the proposal's Preliminary Development Concept Plan, which is the official term of the project's draft layout of the buildings. The other hearing is for mapping for the project's accompanying retail zone onto a specific portion of the site.

Summit/Greenfield is seeking to build 120,000 square feet of retail, which would be anchored by a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods grocery store. The owner is requesting that the southern portion of Chappaqua Crossing, which was once a corporate campus for Reader's Digest, be used for retail.

The Town Board voted to adjourn the two public hearings to April 14.

A copy of Ball's presentation, which includes each of the renderings, is available here.

 

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