A Whole Lotto Love! Yonkers Woman Wins $41 Million Lotto

The luck of the Irish shined down on Niamh Finnan, a dental hygienist from Yonkers, who was given a $41 million winning lottery ticket from her husband, Donal, last month.

The couple recently returned to the location where Donal bought the winning ticket, Lotto Plus at 967 McLean Ave., and we joined by New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega and Gretchen Dizer to celebrate.

The Finnan’s, both born in Ireland, have lived in Yonkers for 25 years.

Yonkers Comes Out to Support PAL at Luncheon at Empire City

Despite the difficult economic times, the Yonkers community came out to fill the ballroom at Empire City to support the Yonkers Police Athletic League (PAL) at their annual luncheon held last week. The Yonkers PAL has faced cuts to their budget over the past year, losing city funding for police officers to work at the PAL. Since that time the PAL, through Chairman Angelo Martinelli and a hard working board, has been working feverishly in an attempt to raise funds to keep PAL as an important safety net in Yonkers for young adults.

Martinelli, former Yonkers mayor, was at his best at the luncheon, urging the crowd to help the PAL. “We are here to help keep the PAL alive, and your attendance today shows how Yonkers cares,” said Martinelli, who remembered three PAL board members lost over the past year: Mike D’Ambrosio, Sidney Sloves and Iris Walshin.

“Iris did so much for the PAL that our recreation center is named in her honor. Sidney always said ‘yes’ when asked to help, and Mike dedicated his life to the PAL. They will be missed.”

The winners of the PAL poster contest — Reina Mendez and Edward Curry — were on hand to receive their PAL jackets. Three students from Sacred Heart HS in Yonkers, Megan Matill, Daniel Salliente and Elizabeth Folinsky, accepted scholarships from the PAL for their outstanding student performance.

The two PAL honorees were Mayor Phil Amicone and Sal Corrente, boxing coach and PAL director. Martinelli called Amicone “the perfect mayor for the people of Yonkers during these difficult times.”
Amicone, the PAL’s man of the year, said, “Due to the unfortunate cuts that we had to make, so many people in Yonkers have stepped up to fill the void and help with programs, and be here today. I had no doubt that the PAL wouldn’t die because it’s so important to parents working late. The PAL is vital to the survival of our city and the people of Yonkers always step up to make a difference in children’s lives.”

In attendance were former N.Y. Giants, including George Martin, District Attorney Janet DiFiore, City Council President Chuck Lesnick, Police Commissioner Ed Hartnett, City Chief Judge Michael Martinelli, County Legislator Jose Alvarado, Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and hundreds of others.

The PAL also accepted checks from Assemblyman Mike Spano for $15,000 (with Mike’s father Len Spano delivering the check) and Hudson Valley Bank for $5,000, with James Landy, president of Hudson Valley Bank, at the luncheon.

With help, the PAL is continuing its programs for Yonkers kids. For more information about the PAL or ways to keep this crucial Yonkers program alive, call 914-377-7297.

McLaughlin and Barbato Remain Two Key Votes Needed to Pass SFC’s LDA

With the summer season upon us and a budget battle behind them, the City Council’s next big issue will be the Struever Fidelco Cappelli (SFC) $400 million development plan for downtown Yonkers. The council had been working for the past few weeks to amend and adopt a budget, and can now turn its full attention to SFC and the Land Disposition Agreement (LDA), which lays out the project’s terms, payments and benefits to both the city and the developers.

Currently, three members of the council — Council President Chuck Lesnick and council members Patricia McDow and John Murtagh —  appear to support the LDA, while councilwomen Sandy Annabi and Joan Gronowski are opposed. (McDow, however, has recently expressed concerns about the affordable housing component of the plan … more to follow.)

Republican council members Liam McLaughlin and Dee Barbato remain the swing votes, and the two votes needed to pass the LDA. Five council votes are needed because the LDA includes the sale of city property.

While negotiations continue between Mayor Phil Amicone, SFC and the City Council, both Barbato and McLaughlin remain on the fence with serious concerns.

“My concerns are all about the revenue streams in this project. This isn’t what we all signed on for, we thought this was going to bring in a definitive revenue stream,” said Barbato.

Both Barbato and McLaughlin’s concerns regard whether or not the LDA is a good deal for the people of Yonkers. Below are some of the pros and cons of the LDA, all of which are factors both Barbato and McLaughlin are considering.

Pro: The SFC project will create jobs, business activity and vitality to an economically depressed part of the city. The increased traffic could “lift the tide” of other businesses, creating more spending, and sales taxes, in Yonkers.

Con: The project is no longer a guaranteed $1.6 billion development plan. Due to economic conditions, a minimum development guarantee of $400 million is in the LDA.

Pro: The development of the SFC plan would give a boost to the downtown waterfront in Yonkers, the gem that remains underutilized. While there has been some development in the downtown/waterfront district there’s isn’t enough critical mass for a vibrant business and residential district. New office buildings on Main Street are up for sale, and other property owners are waiting and wondering what to do next. The SFC plan would give the boost to the downtown needed so that other projects can follow.

Con: SFC has to layout very little of their own money to move forward with the project under the LDA. Many of the upfront payments by SFC have been removed or modified in the LDA. 

Pro: The $400 million minimum development includes building River Park Center at Chicken Island, a new firehouse at the Cacace center across from City Hall and parking near and around City Hall and River Park Center. At least one residential tower will also be built, along with some form of Minor League Baseball stadium.

Con: One of the biggest pieces of city responsibility to the SFC plan is the $162 million in bonds the city will float to pay for the infrastructure improvements to the downtown. The total cost of the improvements is $212 million, with SFC using anticipated credits from the project to pay the $50 million.

Pro: The construction of residential housing, be it rentals at River Park Center, and/or condos on the riverfront, would bring in new residents, who live, shop and do business in downtown Yonkers. The residential component is currently lacking in the downtown, and a vibrant downtown has activity 24/7.

Con: According to the LDA, SFC has to attempt to secure financing for their project. If they cannot secure financing, they can sit on the two riverfront properties (H&I) that are considered the most valuable piece to the entire plan.

Concerns about how SFC intends to regulate the affordable housing portion of their residential plan have recently come to light. In the LDA, the affordable housing units would transfer to market rate housing after 15 years. McDow called the 15 years “absurd. Fifteen years is a blink of the eye, I was looking for 30 years, which is a good standard.”

“They [SFC] need to come back with something that’s workable for the city,” said McDow, whose vote for the LDA is crucial for passage.

Over the past few months of negotiations, SFC has remained silent, preferring to attempt to win over enough council votes behind closed doors. But the people of Yonkers are talking about SFC.

“I hear from a lot of people two recurring thoughts. One is that this a sweetheart deal for SFC. They are getting everything they want, but who is looking out for us?,” said an unnamed source in City Hall. “And two, how long will this go on for? When will the council vote on this, or when will SFC finally quit?”

Hampton Inn Opens First New Yonkers Hotel in 46 Years

As another sign that Yonkers remains a resilient center of business travel in southern Westchester and the surrounding area, Mayor Phil Amicone, chairman of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency (IDA), led a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 17, at The Hampton Inn & Suites, the first new hotel to open in Yonkers in almost half a century.

The mayor, joined by Mark Stebbins and Susan Griffin, principals of the hotel ownership group, FSG Yonkers Hotel LLC; Ellen Lynch, president & CEO of the Yonkers IDA; and other local and state officials celebrated the opening of the four-story, 150-room hotel at 160 Corporate Boulevard in South Westchester Executive Park. The Hampton Inn & Suites includes nearly 40 suites and 110 deluxe rooms and offers guests a business center, meeting facilities, on-site parking, a fitness center, an indoor pool, a cocktail lounge and a large lobby where complimentary breakfast is served to hotel guests. Complementary shuttle service for guests to local businesses and transportation hubs is also available.

 The project was developed by FSG Yonkers Hotels LLC, a joint venture of RD Management LLC in New York City and S&S Hotels based in Manchester, N.H. The $23 million project was made possible through incentives granted by the Yonkers IDA, including a payment in lieu of real property taxes (PILOT) agreement, mortgage tax exemptions and sales and use tax exemptions for construction materials. In total, the project has created 40 permanent jobs, as well as 107 temporary construction jobs. Construction began in March 2008.

The hotel, located in Executive Park in northwest Yonkers, points to another thriving business community in the city, and serves two purposes. It gives members of the business community in Executive Park a nearby quality hotel to stay or have business functions, and it also provides travelers to Yonkers, or southern Westchester, their best option for a quality overnight stay.

Four Westchester Democrats Hold Key to Future of County Politics

We call it “Westchester Political Musical Chairs” when elected officials in our county ponder and consider their next move up the political ladder. Due to the overwhelming enrollment edge Democrats now have in the county (+100,000), all speculation about who will run for what this year and in the future, centers on Democrats, and Rising Media would like to highlight four Westchester Dems — Assemblyman Adam Bradley, County Board Chairman Bill Ryan, County Legislator and Yonkers Democratic Chairman Ken Jenkins and Assemblyman Mike Spano.

Bradley jumped headfirst into the race for White Plains mayor, and now is considered the heir apparent to replace longtime Republican White Plains Mayor Joe Delfino, who presided over the revitalization of the county’s capital city.

Bill Ryan was at the top of Westchester Democratic buzz to be the next county executive or White Plains mayor last year when he became chairman of the County Board. But since then, Andy Spano is running for re-election as county executive, stopping Ryan’s hopes, and Bradley stepped in front of Ryan to become the Democratic White Plains mayoral hopeful.

Ryan’s only hopes now rest on maintaining his County Board chairmanship before something else opens up. But Ryan’s future as board chairman could be tenuous if Jenkins decides he wants to be the next chairman.

Jenkins is one of the rising stars in the Democratic Party in Westchester. He would be a true consensus builder on the County Board for the Democratic super majority, and has proven himself as a wise political operative in turning around the Yonkers Democratic Party as chairman in recent years.
Jenkins is also seen as a possible future candidate for Congress or Mayor of Yonkers. With Republican Mayor Phil Amicone term limited in two years, Yonkers Democrats are looking to take over City Hall in 2011, with Jenkins, Assemblyman Mike Spano, and City Council President Chuck Lesnick the three big Democrats with the best chance to be the next Mayor of Yonkers.

The Spanos (Mike, Nick and Andy) are beginning to line up support for Mike Spano, who switched parties to a Democrat two years ago, to be the Democratic candidate for Yonkers’ mayor. The recent deal that gave Andy Spano the Conservative line for county executive points to this effort to clear the way for Mike as Yonkers’ mayor.

The Spanos are hoping that Jenkins, who can pretty much write his own ticket, sets his sights on the County Board chairmanship, and not Yonkers mayor. This bodes badly for Ryan, who has not distinguished himself as Democratic board chairman with the 13 Dems on the County Board.

In musical chairs, there’s always someone left without a chair — right now that someone is Ryan.