By Carol P. Bartold, Senior Reporter                      

Oct. 4, 2017:  Almost three years to the day after excavation began on the site of Villa BXV and the Kensington Road garage, the upper level of the garage is open for parking, and the first of the north building's units have been inspected and issued certificates of occupancy.

Village Administrator Jim Palmer reports that, according to the construction agreement between the village and Gateway Development Group, Inc., the developer, 203 parking spaces on the garage's upper and lower levels are allocated to the village. To date, he said, 55 of those spaces have been designated for merchants, 55 for resident commuter permit holders, 30 for the public, all on the upper level, and 63 spaces for 24-hour resident permit holders on the lower level. Parking space allocation between merchants and residents will be somewhat fluid, he said, based on demand.

"The garage's public spaces are already freeing up spaces in the Garden Avenue lot," Palmer said, "and the feedback from merchants about that is positive." He anticipates that more commuter spaces will begin to be available in the Kraft Avenue lot.

Parking spaces on the lower level for 24-hour resident permit holders will come online over the winter. These permit holders were displaced from the lower Kensington parking lot when excavation for Villa BXV began. They were relocated to on-street parking for the duration of construction. Palmer noted that contractors are still using the lower level, so, for the time being, it is somewhat of a construction area.

Palmer estimates that the garage, when in full operation, will generate approximately $285,000 in revenues annually. He reported that the maintenance agreement for the garage, which stipulates responsibilities between the village and what will become the homeowners' association, was finalized last week.

Surveillance cameras have been installed, which allow the Bronxville Police Department to monitor the garage 24 hours a day. The garage will not be locked overnight.

Most of the residential units on the north wing's first and second floors have received final inspections. Several first-floor units have been issued certificates of occupancy and could close the week of October 9. Palmer anticipates that certificates of occupancy for some second-floor units could be issued the week of October 9.

Units in the south wing, where construction crews are still working on unit interiors, should be ready for inspection and occupancy over the course of the winter.

Based on the village assessor's early estimates, the full market value of the Villa BXV property stands at $47.5 million, which translates to approximately $746,000 in village and school property taxes. Palmer stated that the assessor would revalue the property in January of 2018.

The last phase of construction, which the village is still finalizing, includes the resurfacing of Kensington Road, new curbing and sidewalks on the east side of the street, and new parking to be installed on both sides of the street.

Pictured here: Top: Villa BXV; in text: entrance to the garage on Kensington Road.

Photos by N. Bower