Notice is given: A coalition of concerned neighbors has come together under the banner of United Yonkers. The following notice went out Sunday night from Ludlow Park Residents Association. Please attend or send comments in regarding the following agenda items.
TUES. 3/11/2025
City Council Meetings
40 South Broadway, 4th floor Council Chambers
6 PM – Budget and Finance Committee
7 PM – Stated Meeting (residents may speak at the podium)
ITEM OF FOCUS/CONCERN:
#1 on the agenda: Regarding 501 Hawthorne Ave. (old Leake & Watts campus):
The City Council is scheduled to vote on the Zoning Ordinance change amending the MG Zone description to add a new category of Special Use Permit for a “Planned Film and Educational Development”. The new Special Use Permit also provides for an increase in:
1) the allowed height from 3 stories or 40 feet to 4 stories or 60 feet, whichever is less;
2) the maximum building coverage percentage from 40% to 60% of the property.
The zoning change will allow developer Robert Halmi, Jr., the CEO of Great Point Studios (GPS), to turn the property into yet another movie and TV production “lot”, complete with 5 soundstages, that will alter the character of that residential neighborhood (as GPS has done on North Broadway, next door to the Boyce Thompson Center); on Warburton Avenue, near Messiah Baptist Church; and, at impending structures that GPS has purchased for Lionsgate Studios, to construct additional buildings for warehousing equipment & parking for their employees, to be constructed at the end of Woodworth Ave. at Ashburton Avenue.
If you would like to speak during the meeting, you can notify the Council in advance by emailing before 3:30 PM on Tuesday 3-11-2025 (you may also email comments if you are not able to attend the meeting in person):
Include the following information in your email:
- Your name and address;
- The legislation that you would like to comment about (the amendment to the zoning code to add Planned Film and Educational Development as a special use permit);
- Who you represent, if other than yourself (i.e., the name of your organization).
NOTE: The Council President usually asks whether anyone from the galley would like to make a comment before proceeding to the next item.
*You are allowed ONLY 3 minutes for your remarks, so if possible, prepare in advance.
WED. 3/12/2025
Planning Board Meeting
40 South Broadway, 4th floor Council Chambers
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
ITEMS OF FOCUS/CONCERN:
PLANNING BOARD CASE #24-015, #2 on the agenda: 810 Central Park Ave.: Redevelopment of MGM Empire Casino site to include a hotel and concert venue, to be known as a new DESTINATION RESORT CASINO.
*The public hearing is closed, which means that the Board has concluded the public comment period for this development proposal and will no longer be accepting new public input on the matter; they are now ready to deliberate and make a decision based on the information gathered during the open hearing period.
PLANNING BOARD CASE #25-015, Item #15 on the agenda: 143-151 Woodworth Avenue, the “TWIN TOWERS”: current site of the actively operating multi-million dollar business — European Beauty Concepts, LTD. (being backed by Yonkers IDA). The Zoning Board approved the project during the meeting held on February 19, 2025, and returned the case to the Planning Board. The master plan calls for two 32-story structures standing 372 feet tall, atop a four story parking lot, with 672 units, in a neighborhood made up of single and multi-family homes (most recent renderings fail to show the current character of the neighborhood, but rather what the future landscape will look like — ALL large buildings).Â
**Agenda items may be taken out of order as the Board deems necessary.
Residents may email the Planning Department to sign up to speak at the meeting using the following email address (follow the format above):
PLANNINGINFO@YONKERSNY.GOV
