Westchester Medical Center Unveils New Main Concourse in Valhalla
Westchester Medical Center recently unveiled a new, modern main concourse to greet patients and visitors to the regional medical center. The new concourse is a functional crossroads that will eventually connect Westchester Medical Center and the future 280,000-square-foot Ambulatory Care Pavilion which is currently under construction on WMCHealth’s Valhalla campus.
DanoneWave launches as country’s largest public-benefit corporation
Danone, a French food company with a US operations base in Westchester, acquired soy milk producer WhiteWave Foods last July in a $10 billion acquisition and has become the largest public-benefit corporation in the U.S. With the completion of this deal, Danone recently announced the launch of the combined company, DanoneWave. The company will have more than $6 billion in revenue and 6,000 employees, and will divide its headquarters between White Plains and Broomfield, Colorado. DanoneWave will enter the market as a top 15 food and beverage company in the U.S. “From our beginning we aspire to create economic, environmental and social value in our everyday decisions about how we operate DanoneWave,” said Lorna Davis, CEO of DanoneWave.
WCA Puts Forth Development Action Plan
Westchester County Association President and CEO Bill Mooney announced last week that a task force including leaders in real estate, planning and development, attorneys, consultants and other community stakeholders took a large step forward in creating “Westchester’s Development Action Plan.” The Action plan will provide policy recommendations and advocacy efforts involving municipal planning, zoning, financial incentives, and attaining affordable workforce housing. The first chapter of the Development Action Plan, titled WCA’s Housing Policy Playbook, will be released in the coming weeks. This will lead up to the WCA’s Real Estate Summit 2017, on May 18th, “Transforming Westchester: From Innovative Planning to Regulatory Streamlining.”
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Joanna Straub, NPW Executive Director Nonprofit Westchester and WCC to Offer Professional Development Classes
The county’s leading advocacy organization for nonprofits, Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) has partnered with Westchester Community College (WCC) to provide a series of courses focused on training and skillsets that nonprofits need to provide successful services in the community. According to NPW Executive Director Joanna Straub, the partnership with WCC was formed in an effort to strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit sector in the county. The program was made possible from a State University of New York (SUNY) grant that goes to WCC to support the community. The classes will cover topics such as brand management, public speaking, business writing, and process mapping.
Greenwich-based Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists Plans Westchester Expansion
Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists PC (ONS), will open its first Westchester office in September. The group recently signed an 11-year lease for 15,000 square feet at 500 Mamaroneck Ave in Harrison. The building is owned by the Empire State Realty Trust. The practice will invest $2 million to expand the office to include 14 exam rooms, digital X-ray, and ultrasound space and a physical therapy center. All ONS physicians and licensed clinical staff have to be licensed in both New York and Connecticut said Sally Frank, chief operating officer of ONS. ONS expects to open in Harrison on Sept. 5. Frank described the Mamaroneck Avenue location as an ideal spot between Interstate 95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway. “Obviously it’s very easy access for our patients both north and south of that area,” Frank said.
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Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board Leads $4 Million Expansion of Federally Funded Workforce Program
A $4 million federally funded grant will be steered by the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development board into the Jobs Waiting Program, which has thus far placed 160 long-term unemployed individuals into skilled healthcare jobs throughout the region. “Our young adults are our most valuable resource, and we want them to succeed right here in Westchester,” says Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino, noting the success of the two-year-old program. The grant will aid young adults with barriers to employment and training, including lack of transportation, low education attainment, childcare needs, and housing insecurity. The program will also serve long-term unemployed or underemployed individuals, and incumbent workers who need training to advance in their careers.
Pelham Hopes to Stoke Development with New Zoning Law
On April 18, the village of Pelham approved a new zoning law aimed at revivifying their downtown by forming so-called “floating zones.” These new zones will not replace existing zones, but simply allow for taller buildings of a greater density to be built within them. This is expected to allow a range of businesses and retailers, as well as affordable housing, to better expand into Pelham’s downtown and central areas. Under the new regulations, developers would be able to create buildings up to six stories and to use a greater portion of the lots.
Higher-Education Leaders Caucus to Advance Campus Sustainability
More than 25 college and university staff met on April 27 to discuss opportunities to advance sustainability on their respective campuses during the Higher Education Sustainability Roundtable, hosted by Purchase College. The Roundtable was also attended by County Executive Rob Astorino as well as The Business Council of Westchester’s COO, John Ravitz. Attendees discussed ways in which energy-efficiency efforts have improved their bottom line and offered opportunities for student engagement ahead.
