YONKERS — A developer wants permission from the city to build a 15-story tower at the site of a burned-out theater.
Blue Real Estate Holdings LLC of 470 Nepperhan Ave. is proposing to build an age-restricted, 220-unit complex at 1217 Yonkers Ave., the site of the former Kimball Theatre and a row of shuttered businesses.
The developer has submitted its request for zoning exemptions to the Zoning Board of Appeals, including a height variance for the proposed 165.1-foot building, which is 30 feet higher than the city's zoning allows. The developer also needs variances for floor-area ratios and lot coverage, among other issues. The plan includes 235 underground parking spots.
At the applicant's request, a scheduled June 15 zoning board hearing has been postponed. The board's next meeting is July 20.
In its application, the developer's attorney, James Veneruso, wrote that the project "will be of tremendous benefit" to the city because "the dilapidated Kimball Theatre will be replaced by a beautiful state of the art building; and (2) the project will meet the needs of the community by helping revitalize the area."
Residents at 475 Bronx River Road and 52 Yonkers Terrace already have objected. The buildings' attorney, Evelyn Petrone, wrote to the city that the proposed tower doesn't fit in the area and, if built, will worsen traffic and parking problems.
In a May 18 letter to the zoning board, Westchester County acting Planning Commissioner Edward Buroughs praised the proposal because it fits with the county's vision for dense development near public transportation. The Mount Vernon West train station is nearby.
"It will direct growth to an already established center, where the existing infrastructure will support the development, and where transportation options can be provided and services can be obtained within walking distance," Buroughs wrote.
