He added, "There is a tremendous pent-up demand for luxury rental apartments in Southern Westchester County. We anticipate that The Hamilton, with its larger apartments, easy access to the train station and nearby shopping and restaurants, will be a huge success."

Mayor Delfino said that one of the key ingredients in the downtown's ongoing revitalization efforts has been the introduction of housing to the area. "Residential housing has been the key to our city's revitalization success and The Hamilton fills a vital need at this most strategic location in our downtown."

Seltzer Group officials hope to begin construction in the next 30 days. Holt Construction, which has offices in Pearl River, New York City and Newark, N.J., has been retained as the general contractor on the project. Design Collaborative of White Plains, New Rochelle and Maywood, N.J. is the architect.

Construction has already begun on three other major projects in the downtown district that will feature luxury rental housing: Bank Street Commons, City Center at White Plains, and Jefferson Place. Those projects will add more than 1,000 apartment units to the city's rental housing inventory. In addition, Clayton Park Development is nearing completion of its 260-unit complex located in the Eastview section of the city.

Seltzer said, "This project and others going up in White Plains represent the best in urban thinking right now." He said that there is a definite need to foster "urban/suburban" living and that White Plains is poised to transform the downtown into a "24-hour community."

Rents for one and two-bedroom apartments which range in size from 854 sf to 1,213 sf, will run from $2,400 to $3,400 per month. Affordable units will be priced at approximately $1,000 per month, according Seltzer Group officials. The Hamilton will also feature a health and fitness club, multi-purpose rooms for meetings and three levels of structured parking. Apartments on the top two floors will have terraces.

The Hamilton is The Seltzer Group's first venture in Westchester County. The firm, founded in 1939, has developed 10 million square feet of commercial space in the U.S. and Canada and 4,000 apartment units in New Mexico, California and the eastern seaboard. The company's most recent project is "The Portofino," a 283-unit, 26-story luxury rental housing property in Jersey City, N.J.

Seltzer says that the firm is currently looking for further development opportunities in the Westchester County area.