Last Thursday morning, the Ossining waterfront brought out more than just the typical commuters headed to the train. Instead, a crowd gathered at a ribbon cutting marking Ginsburg Development Companies’ (GDC) newest rental complex—one that has been nearly two decades in the making.
The $65 million property, called Harbor Square, includes 188 one- and two-bedroom luxury rental apartments. Prices for one-bedroom apartments range from $2,395 to $3,295 per month, while prices for two-bedroom units range from $3,195 to $6,000.
Martin Ginsburg, the founder and principal of GDC, acknowledged the project’s long history at the event, noting how he development first got under way 18 years ago when Cappelli Enterprises Inc. planned to build luxury condos on the site. Ginsburg’s involvement began in 2006, but plans were placed on hold shortly after due to the 2008 housing-market collapse. The saga continued as Cappelli later pulled out of the venture, and GDC ultimately reinvented the project as a rental development in 2012.
Presently though, Ginsburg is confident in its success, saying that while the property “covers all bases” in terms of potential residents, many of the units would appeal to empty-nesters moving out of big houses.
The smallest one-bedroom apartments start at 683 square feet, while the largest ones are 1,114 square feet and include a separate dining room, den, and two full bathrooms. Two-bedroom units range from 1,156 square feet to 1,448-square-foot penthouses. The building also includes a fitness center, spa, lounge, and rooftop pool.
The ceremony also marked the dedication of Gourdine Park, a $1 million public space located on the waterfront beside the apartment complex, named in honor of late local fisherman Henry Gourdine. A restaurant on the property is also currently in the works and is slated to open in the fall.
Harbor Square is GDC’s first resort-style property in Westchester—the other one is Riverside, which opened on the Hudson in Rockland County last year. Ginsburg’s aim in building along the river is to revitalize the area’s waterfront.
“The Hudson River, which is one of the most beautiful and historic rivers in the country, is really underutilized,” he said. “We have people living near the river who don’t even know it exists.”
Ginsburg feels that Gourdine Park—which was funded by both GDC and a New York State grant—and Harbor Square are the first steps toward bringing more attractions to the waterfront, and he hopes the community will mobilize to continue promoting tourism by completing the Sing Sing Historic Museum (which has been underway since the 1990s), as one example.
“I feel very strongly that you can’t just take the river waterfronts of all the river towns and just put grass and a few trees and two park benches and say, ‘I’ve done the job,’” he remarked. “Because that’s not gonna do it,” he said.
