New York State Cultural Resource Information Center
https://cris.parks.ny.gov/
The NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation conducted a detailed study of Port Chester's retail area. Their report, USN 11944.000468, identified a number of buildings and districts worthy of historic preservation and protection. The map shows the areas they surveyed. The colored squares are individual buildings.
Black squares are "undetermined"
Red squares are "not eligible for historic protection"
Green squares are "Eligible" for historic protection
Yellow Squares are "Listed" Historic buildings on record
Blue lines identify entire blocks that have historic significance.
Port Chester is aware of the designation and the economic resources available to the Village for maintenance, repair, or modernization of all the buildings within the blue border study area. Local owners may not even be aware that funding sources at the State level exist. https://parks.ny.gov/shpo/
Tarry Lighthouse
Project was approved in 2020 by BZA after a series of amendments to size, parking, and tax abatement agreements were negotiated with the developer. The design calls for the demolition of the entire block bounded by North Main, Abendroth, Mill Street, and Highland Street. The existing 2-story building dates to the 1920's, constructed by the Studebaker Automobile Co. as one of it's first auto showrooms. The building features terra-cotta tile at the 2nd floor, and was designated as worthy of historic protection by the Westchester County Cultural Resource Information System. Demolition commenced 2021.
Westfair
A proposed 12 story building directly across from the Historic Registered Capitol Theater. This project, while technically "outside" the Main Street corridor, is exactly what is wrong with the current Zoning ordinance. This building would be fine along the Post Road or Midland Avenue. But it completely out of place on Westchester Avenue. It should be noted that the project violates the Historic District designation of Westchester Avenue in Westchester County records. The Capitol Theater is barely visible on the left. Compare the height of this building to the areas around it, including Main Street across the RR tracks beyond.
27-45 North Main
Nearly a full block of historic properties on the east side of North Main Street will be demolished with this project. The existing 3-story masonry buildings are replaced with 4 story and 6 story "appearance" buildings. The developer has at least taken the Character-Based Code in consideration by breaking the facade into smaller widths. But the overall effect is generic urbanization, with very little context of the Village. The existing buildings on Main Street are shown at the top of the image, with the proposed building directly below, in the exact same section. The height difference is dramatic.
2 South Main St. Liberty Square
A proposed 12 story building at the corner of Westchester Avenue and South Main St. The image on the left was provided by the Developer. The image on the right is how it will actually appear from the street. Notice how the new building appears quite differently, depending on whether the actual neighboring buildings are correctly shown. This a part of the normal design process: show the proposed building in its best light. But it's important to see the building in its proper context. Liberty Square was already nearly destroyed by the "Waterfront" that drove off dozens of local businesses.
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