Community Group Presents Plan for St. Paul's
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

A group of approximately 130 Garden City residents listened Tuesday evening as the Committee to Save St. Paul's presented its proposal for the redevelopment of the Historic St. Paul's Main Building. The plan calls for renovating the existing building to be used as a community meeting and gathering space, senior center and apartments. They estimate the total gross cost of the project to be $30 million, meaning the "average home," which is a home assessed at $13,200, will have to pay an additional $100 in Village taxes per year.

"Our proposal does involve a dollar-and-cent cost," said Peter Negri, president of the Committee to Save St. Paul's (CSSP). "It's up to you to figure out whether the benefit received is worth, in today's dollars, $100 a year. Nobody likes more tax. But you have to weigh the costs of a purified development with the cost benefit of a public/private partnership."

The Committee's mixed-use proposal calls for the establishment of a "partnership" consisting of the private sector (developer), the nonprofit community (St. Paul's Conservancy Corp.) and the Village. The Committee would operate as an essential member/partner, allowing the entity to take advantage of federal and New York State rehabilitation tax credits. In May, members of the Committee legally incorporated a qualified Section 501(c)(3) organization known as St. Paul's Conservancy Corporation.

The proposal contains 19,000 square feet for public use in prime areas of the building on the first floor and ground level, including the former chapel. This space, set aside for a community center, senior center and gathering and meeting rooms, is combined with approximately 62 units of residential senior apartments.

A large group of senior citizens attended the meeting and expressed interest in the apartments and senior center. Negri and the committee's consultants, Murray Gould of Port City Preservation LLC and Stephen Tilly of Stephen Tilly, Architect, could not answer the more detailed questions posited by audience members since all of the specifics have not been worked out yet.

The CSSP plans to market the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments to Garden City seniors, and is considering making it for those 55 years old and over. There would be a variety of different types of apartments, ranging in size from 500 to 1,600 square feet and including garden apartments and duplexes.

The rents collected would be one of the major income streams that would help pay for the project. Other sources include income from the rent the Village would pay for public spaces, the St. Paul's Conservancy Corp.'s ability to procure grants and income from the developer's sale of tax credits. The consultant suggested that the former chapel space could be used for weddings and a meeting room could be used for receptions, which would generate more income.

Negri could not say what the rents for the apartments will be, but concluded that it would be driven by market forces and would be upscale but not "ultra high-end." Resident Robert Heaney warned the Committee that they will have to deal with groups who have been advocating for affordable housing in the Village. Negri said that the grants the CSSP are considering do not call for a certain percentage of units to be made available for affordable housing.

A woman in the audience asked about the security that will be provided to keep the public and private sections separate. The consultant acknowledged that this would be one of their biggest challenges if the project goes forward, but emphasized they would make it work within the existing envelope of the building. The plan calls for a "light touch" to be used, which means they want to do as little as possible to modify the building and keep as many of the original features as possible.

The CSSP's proposal is one of six received by the Village Trustees' St. Paul's Committee. The Village's consultant, Karen Backus, principal of the real estate consulting firm K. Backus & Associates, Inc., has submitted a list of questions to the Committee which must be answered by November 2. If the CSSP is selected as a finalist, the group must be ready for a possible interview and presentation by November 8th.

If the proposal is ultimately chosen by the Board of Trustees, the next step would be to obtain the necessary Home Rule legislation and relief from Parkland designation from state legislators. Negri called upon the public to voice their support for their plan to Mayor Gerard Lundquist, members of the Board of Trustees and Senator Kemp Hannon.

The CSSP has met privately with Senator Hannon, who has emphasized that he will only go forward in Albany to secure the necessary Home Rule legislation and relief from Parkland designation if he sees widespread public support for one proposal. Without the legislation, the land can strictly be used for public purposes only.

"Do we really want to be faced with another 13 years of seeing this drag on?" Negri asked. "We can debate this back and forth, but I honestly don't think that a pure private play is going to get the support of Home Rule legislation that's needed. With a public/private partnership, however, the public would get space, the Village would maintain control, there would be no additional density in our plan, and the partnership would eventually pay property taxes to the Village on the site."

Some residents expressed concern that they will not be allowed to vote on the issue. Negri, who is a former trustee, responded that he believes the Board will act responsibly and will do what is right and fair for the Village. Mayor Lundquist said at the Oct. 5th Board meeting that there will be a number of public forums for the public to express their views after the trustee's committee makes its recommendation to the Board in November.

For more information on the CSSP and proposal, visit www.savestpauls.org.