Plan for senior housing at 900 King St. gets 3rd extension from village board

March 7, 2024 at 2:16 a.m.

Architectural site plan showing the independent living and assisted living buildings approved for the 900 King St. site on Sept. 14, 2021. The conceptual plan for the property received a third extension on Feb. 27, this time for three months with conditions. (Courtesy photo of Perkins Eastman)

There has been speculation that the senior housing project approved for 900 King St. was dead. However, a glimmer of hope that it may still be alive came at the Rye Brook Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

That’s when a request for a third extension of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) concept plan to redevelop the site was considered.

Site plan approval to allow for redevelopment at 900 King St., now the location of a vacant 200,000-square-foot office building and expansive surface parking lot, was originally granted on Jan. 26, 2021.

Then on Sept. 14, 2021, the PUD concept plan proposed by 900 King Associates was approved.

The original approval for age-restricted (62 and over) senior housing was valid for 18 months, expiring on Mar. 15, 2023. It was extended for six months on Jan. 24, 2023, expiring Sept. 15, 2023, and then again for another six months on Aug. 15, 2023 until Mar. 15, 2024.

The project calls for 231 residential rental units consisting of 126 independent living units, 85 assisted living units, 20 townhomes and other related infrastructure such as driveways, walkways, garage and surface parking, site lighting and signage on approximately 18 acres.

On Feb. 27, the Rye Brook village board extended the approval for another three months at the request of Veneziano & Associates on behalf of 900 King Street Owner LLC, owner of the property.

Anthony Veneziano Jr. requested the village board extend the approval for another six months in a Feb. 16 letter to Mayor Jason Klein.

“The Owner notes the recent progress in the PILOT [Payment in Lieu of Taxes] discussions with the Village Board and is looking forward to concluding all necessary approvals, and satisfying any outstanding conditions, as this project moves towards construction,” wrote Veneziano.

However, he did not appear in person at the meeting as he did six months ago.

With their lawyer from Keane & Beane giving them the correct wording, the village board voted unanimously to halve the lengthening, agreeing to extend it another three months if the property owner makes application to the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency for a PILOT by June 15.

The negotiations to determine how much the senior housing complex will pay the village instead of taxes, basically awarding the property owner a tax break, have been ongoing in closed session, at least off and on, since the concept plan was originally approved in 2021.

“We feel this is still a positive project for the Village of Rye Brook,” said Mayor Klein at the Feb. 27 meeting. “It’s unfortunate it has taken this long. We’ve been in PILOT negotiations. We’d like to see movement on this project. Instead of straight out granting six months, there is a condition of moving that IDA paperwork forward.”

“Three months. If they complete the application and submit it to the IDA, they can get another three months,” Village Administrator Chris Bradbury made clear before the vote.