FASNY in White Plains: Business Council of Westchester Voices Support

The following is a press release from the Business Council of Westchester in support of the French American School of New York's White Plains development project.

There are opponents to the school's plans, some of whom have filed a lawsuit to stop the effort. This press release does not reflect the opinions of the opposition:

WHITE PLAINS, NY (July 8, 2014) – In another strong showing for the French American School of New York (FASNY), The Business Council of Westchester last night reiterated its support for the School’s efforts to transform the defunct Ridgeway Country Club in White Plains.

Speaking before White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, members of the Common Council and hundreds of people on Monday night, Business Council Executive Vice President and COO John Ravitz said the project is an example of smart development as it would create jobs and stimulate the economy while balancing the needs of the community.

In his remarks, which were also submitted to the Council, Ravitz noted that building the new FASNY campus would generate $36.3 million in economic activity for Westchester County – including $14.3 million for White Plains businesses – and would generate $1.1 million annually in tax revenues, according to recent reports. The project would also create 530 new construction jobs and another 317 jobs in support industries and businesses, which are in addition to the 232 full-time and part-time positions at the School.

“As we did in 2012 and 2013, the BCW continues to support the project because we believe it will help create strong economic development for both the City of White Plains and Westchester County,” Ravitz said. “The BCW is committed to supporting economic development projects in Westchester County that will bring both jobs and revenue to the municipalities, which is why the BCW one again urges the City of White Plain’s Common Council to support and approve the FASNY application.”

Ravitz also highlighted specific improvements that have been made to the plan, which include shifting the primary property access from Ridgeway to North Street; reducing the number of students from 1,200 to 950; implementing a stand-alone traffic management plan and installing adaptive traffic signal controllers and creating greater buffer zones around the school campus.

“The BCW also appreciates that fact that throughout this process, FASNY has done a great deal of work to address many of the legitimate quality of life issues that have been raised by the surrounding community,” Ravitz said.

FASNY is proposing to open a school and a 78-acre nature conservancy on the former Ridgeway Country Club. The White Plains Common Council recently voted unanimously to refer FASNY’s Site Plan and Special Permit Applications to various City agencies for review. The first of three additional public hearings was held on July 7 and two others are scheduled for August and September.

About The Business Council of Westchester

The county’s largest and most influential business membership organization, The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping businesses market, learn, advocate and grow. In addition, The Business Council of Westchester is actively involved in reviewing federal, state and county legislation and regulations in order to assess the potential impact on the business community and to influence the outcomes through advocacy when the business community’s interests may be affected. It also acts as an information resource for the business community and government leaders at all levels.