Westchester Legislators Approve Lease For Biotech Center

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County is moving forward with building a major bioscience and technology center on vacant land next to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.

A 99-year lease for the Westchester BioScience & Technology Center — also known as the “North 60” project — was approved in a unanimous 17-0 vote by the Board of Legislators Monday.

The vote paves the way for the $1.2 billion private sector investment on county-owned land. County officials said that was the largest business contract approved by the board.

The developer of the 60-acre complex will be Fareri Associates, which owns 20 adjacent acres.

Fareri will build out $40 million of infrastructure including new roads, water supply, sanitary waste water systems and storm water management to serve the 80-acre site.

The project, which will be built in three phases, will include more than 2.2 million square feet of biotech and research space, medical offices, a 100-room hotel, retail space and a Children’s Living Science Center.

According to the county, when the complex is fully built out, Westchester will receive an estimated $7 million in annual rent, along with $9 million in new tax revenue.

The biotech center will create 4,000 construction jobs and 8,000 new permanent jobs.

Photo credit: Westchester County.