NEW YORK CITY—Nearly 200 people packed the room Tuesday at Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown for the Business Council of Westchester's panel discussion entitled Navigating Westchester: Threading the Needle for Economic Growth. Leaders said the county is going through important shifts that will reshape its economy and landscape for generations to come.
“We're at a point where we are transforming Westchester,” said Robert Weisz, chairman and CEO of RPW Group, citing the massive growth in the health care sector, the repurposing of antiquated office parks and residential communities and revitalization of many urban centers. “Over the next 20 years, we are going to see a major transformation from what is happening today. The next 20 years are going to be critical for Westchester.”
“High taxes are the number one reason people are leaving,” declared County Executive Robert P. Astorino, who opened up the breakfast and highlighted a greater need to share services, consolidate government and control spending. “Does concierge government still make sense? We have to find the right balance.”
The event also included a panel discussion among the region's thought leaders, including Weisz, Tim Jones, partner and managing member of Robert Martin Co.; William Mooney III, director of Westchester's Office of Economic Development; Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester; Wilson Kimball, Commissioner of Planning & Development for the City of Yonkers; Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont and Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin. Geoff Thompson, managing partner of Thompson & Bender, who has more than 30 years of personal experience with many of Westchester's major development projects, moderated the discussion.
In addition to facing high taxes, layers of government and extensive and costly reviews, the panelists agreed that Westchester's future relied heavily on maintaining its excellent schools and quality of life; investing in its infrastructure and transportation; providing appropriate housing for a younger workforce (the millennials or GenY); reforming state regulations such as SEQRA and outdated local zoning laws, and supporting local businesses. They also said local leaders must have the political will to make tough choices on development while promoting their own communities as good places to do business.
“We have to be out there selling our communities,” Marvin said. “We have to be the greatest salespeople for our communities that we can be.”
Kimball highlighted the city's marketing and advertising campaign targeting high-tech companies, start-ups and medical facilities as well as younger workers looking for an urban environment. She also noted that Yonkers is forging ahead with thousands of apartments and housing units in its downtown and waterfront area.
“If you have the political will, things can happen,” she said.
Belmont said Harrison is developing its downtown and transforming the I-287 corridor by adaptively reusing office parks. While the downtown area hasn't changed, by “2025, I believe we are going to be looking different.”
Agreed Jones, “Twenty years from now, the millennials will be moving to the suburbs. Westchester is a mature market, and it will continue to re-invent itself.”
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
