Dec. 18, 2013:  According to Jim Carnicelli, vice president of The Gateway Development Group, Inc., it only took a look at the approved plans and a site visit to the Kensington Road property for Fareri Associates to say, "This is us." The Gateway Development Group, Inc. is wholly owned by Fareri Associates.

Upon the recommendation of an ad hoc committee of trustees and qualified citizens, the Bronxville Board of Trustees, at its December 9 meeting, chose Fareri Associates from among several interested respondents to a request for proposal to develop the site.

"Our experience with high-end residential projects fits our mold perfectly," Carnicelli said, "and I think the trustees and the committee recognized that when they visited some of our projects." Carnicelli described Fareri Associates as a developer specializing in infill development, or redevelopment and renewal, of parcels, often empty and blighted, within built-up areas.

The Kensington Road parcel, left empty when Lawrence Park Heat, Light and Power and a gas station were removed, has served as a village parking facility for many years.

The residential condominium project, as approved by the village land use boards for a previous developer, will be marketed toward a downsize market, Carnicelli said, people who want to move from a house but want to remain in Bronxville.

The two-building project will feature one- and two-bedroom units, with open floor plans, ranging from 1,300 to 2,300 square feet.  Planned amenities include a front desk with a 24-hour concierge, a fitness center in the common room area, and an additional common room that can be used as a theater, a bar, or a meeting room.

Below is an example of a project built by Fareri Associates in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Already experienced in building residential units with proximity to railroad tracks, Carnicelli noted that exterior walls on the west side of the buildings, facing the Metro-North Railroad tracks, will be thick enough to mitigate noise. Triple-paned windows, designed to reduce noise, will be installed in west-facing units.

Carnicelli stated that plans for the project's foundation, conceived and designed by the previous developer, are "right on the mark." He described the foundation as a neoprene bridge system, which will isolate the foundation from the building. The foundation will absorb vibration from railroad traffic and prevent that vibration from being transferred up to the residential units.

A turnaround courtyard off Kensington Road will provide ingress and egress from the development. An underground parking garage will hold 100 parking spaces for residents and 200 spaces dedicated to village use. Interior courtyards and landscaping will complete an appealing and attractive appearance, Carnicelli said.

A two-year construction period, which must begin with removal of contaminated soil from the site, is planned to begin in the spring of 2014. "We anticipate having to coordinate truck traffic so as to minimally affect residents, shoppers, and commuters," Carnicelli said of the environmental remediation process. He added that, during the next few months, the company will work with the Bronxville Police Department, the Bronxville Department of Public Works, and the Eastchester Fire Department to carefully determine both truck routes and the number of trucks per day that will facilitate the remediation.

Carnicelli acknowledged that Fareri Associates is aware of major construction proceeding at Lawrence Hospital Center on the side of the railroad tracks opposite the Kensington Road project. "From a truck traffic standpoint, we don't think they will compete," he said. "The nice thing is the trucks can't fit underneath the train tracks."

Carnicelli noted that the company's experience building in the local market, as well as its willingness to listen to community concerns, are hallmarks of its successful projects.

"We're thrilled by the choice of the selection committee and the board of trustees," Carnicelli said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a jewel of a project. We're excited to move forward."

Pictured here:  Top photo: View of the site of the proposed project from across the railroad tracks; photo by N. Bower. Photo in text: Project built in Greenwich, Connecticut, by Fareri Associates; photo courtesy Jim Carnicelli.