The French-American School of New York
Sells White Plains Property
The French-American School of New York (FASNY) announced that it has sold its 130-acre property in the Gedney Farms neighborhood of White Plains to The Farrell Building Company, a residential developer. The purchase price was not disclosed.
The sale includes four parcels that comprised the former Ridgeway Country Club that FASNY purchased in December 2010: Parcel A, that in November 2017 was approved by the City for construction of its Secondary School (grades 6-12) consisting of 27.7 acres between Ridgeway, Hathaway Lane, and Gedney Esplanade; Parcel B, 14 acres between Gedney Esplanade and Heatherbloom Road; Parcel C, 15.6 acres between Heatherbloom and Bryant Avenue; and Parcel D, 72.3 acres between Hathaway, Ridgeway, Bryant and North Street.
The property is zoned R1-30 allowing single-family residential lots of 30,000 square feet.
FASNY purchased the former Ridgeway County Club property in December 2010 as the proposed location for a new school campus. Following a protracted approval process and ensuing legal battle, FASNY entered a stipulation of settlement with the City in 2016 and in 2017 ultimately obtained a site plan and special use permit for a reduced project for its Secondary School (grades 6-12) on Parcel A.
In 2019 FASNY listed Parcels B, C and D for sale. FASNY said that over the course of the last couple of years, the space requirements and planning needs of the school evolved and shifted, leading to the conclusion that selling the entire property was in the school’s best future interests.
FASNY offered its sincere, heartfelt thanks for the extensive support it received for its plan throughout the approval process from individuals and organizations across White Plains and the greater community, recognizing the countless hours, late night meetings, letters of support and much more.
FASNY specifically thanked Mayor Tom Roach and the members of the White Plains Common Council who voted to approve the school’s plan, as well as the city corporation counsel and department commissioners and staff; the leaders and supporters of White Plains Neighbors ACT; the coalition of White Plains religious leaders; local and regional environmental organizations; the Business Council of Westchester, the Westchester County Association and local businesses; and the thousands of individuals who signed petitions, wrote letters and spoke at public hearings in favor of the school plan.
Founded in 1980 as a one-classroom preschool, FASNY has evolved to become an international and bilingual N-12 day school educating more than 720 students on three campuses in Mamaroneck and Larchmont. It is the only school in the New York metropolitan area accredited to offer both the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma and the French baccalaureate. All students also graduate with a New York State high school diploma. Students at FASNY are offered the opportunity to participate in either the French-American Program or the International Program, which begins in grade 1. Regardless of program choice, at FASNY, the innovative approach is the same, based on values of respect, empathy, and positivity, centered on learning, continuous progress, and the well-being of students.
To learn more visit www.fasny.org.