Work nears completion at New Roc City development.

A 19-screen megaplex, Westchester County's only IMAX Theater, a family entertainment center, two indoor skating rinks, restaurants, a Marriott hotel, a Bally fitness center, a Super Stop & Shop supermarket, a Class A office building and a spectacular roof-top tower that will propel riders over 200 feet with the force of a space launch are among the many features of New Roe City, a 1.2 million square-foot family entertainment, retail and mixed-use development nearing completion in downtown New Rochelle.

Scheduled to open this summer, New Roc City will serve as the cornerstone for the revival of downtown New Rochelle. Located off Exit 16 of the New England Thruway (I-95), one of the busiest corridors in the Northeast, the $190 million complex will include:

* A 19-screen megaplex with a giant-screen IMAX Theater showing 3-D motion pictures - the first and only one in Westchester. Operated by Regal Cinemas, the nation's largest, theater operator, the theaters will feature plush stadium seating, state-of-the-art digital surround sound, wall-to-wall screens and a full-service food cafe.

* Sports Plus, a family entertainment center of 150,000 square feet, will feature an NHL regulation-size hockey rink, a country skating lake, sports shops, fast-food service areas and a family entertainment area with video games and amusements for all ages. These include the Laser-Tron battle game, batting cages, a climbing wall, motion simulator rides and virtual reality games. Private party and conference rooms will also be available. Sports Plus will also feature the Huguenot Tower, a spectacular roof-top attraction, the first of its kind on the East Coast. Fashioned after the Eiffel Tower, Huguenot Tower will propel 12 safety-harnessed riders more than 200 feet to its apex at a force of 4Gs via compressed air and float them in a free-fall back to its base.

* Three popular family restaurants Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Rio Bravo Cantina and Ray's on the River.

* Bally Total Fitness, the nation's largest commercial operator of fitness centers, will bring a state-of-the-art health club to New Roe City, occupying two levels totaling 24,000 square feet.

* A 70,000 square-foot Super Stop & Shop Supermarket will be the company's first superstore in Westchester and the largest supermarket in the county. Located at the street-level, the supermarket will include a full-service pharmacy, florist, fish market, bakery, branch bank, book and greeting card department, and housewares.

* A 120-room Marriott Residence Inn extended-stay hotel and a 110,000 square-foot Class A office building will be constructed adjacent to the retail portion of New Roc City on the top level of a new seven-level, 2,200-car parking garage.

Approximately 80 percent of New Roc City is leased, leaving only eight retail spaces totaling approximately 87,000 square feet still available.

Unlike an enclosed mall, New Roc City is designed to encourage pedestrian traffic along tree-lined streets and promenades. A multi-million dollar capital improvements program will beautify the area surrounding New Roc City and create a visual "gateway" linking vehicular traffic from I-95 to the downtown New Rochelle retail district.

Built on the former Macy's and New Rochelle Mall sites, New Roe City is the cornerstone of the revitalization of downtown New Rochelle. Financing for the $190 million project was arranged through public and private sources, including a low-interest loan from the Empire State Development Corporation. The city of New Rochelle has contributed toward the demolition and reconstruction of the parking garage.

"New Roc City will set a new standard in excellence for family entertainment in the New York Metropolitan Area. This is the most exciting and innovative project of its kind anywhere in the Northeast," said Louis R. Cappelli, co-managing partner of New Roe Associates LP, the developer of New Roe City.

"The market potential for New Roc City is absolutely tremendous. We anticipate attracting people from throughout Westchester County, southern Connecticut, Long Island and New York City," said Cappelli, whose company, Cappelli Enterprises, Inc. of Valhalla, NY, is the general contractor for the project

It is estimated that New Roe City will attract approximately 5.5 million individuals to the city each year, generating from $1.5 million to $2 million in sales tax revenue from the project's retail component alone. New Roc City will create more than 600 permanent full- and part-time jobs in New Rochelle.

In addition to Louis Cappelli, the other managing partners of New Roc Associates are Robert M. Greene, president of Center Services Inc. and Kenneth Narva, president of PEG/Park Architects LLC - both of White Plains, NY.

"Downtown New Rochelle has finally turned the corner and New Roe City is playing a major role in that revival," said New Rochelle Mayor Timothy Idoni. "We are very excited about the opening of New Roe City and look forward to the many benefits it will bring to our downtown area."

New Roc City is being hailed as the linchpin of New Rochelle's economic recovery, and it's no wonder: New Roe City's concept of family fun and entertainment is expected to attract approximately 5.5 million individuals to the city each year. In addition to the economic benefits, New Roc City will also provide a new look for the city. Cappelli Enterprises, in conjunction with the development of New Roc City, is undertaking a multi-million dollar capital improvement project that will help beatify and redefine the special character of New Rochelle.

The project, which begins at Exit 16 of I-95 and encompasses 1.5 miles of roadway, will beautify the area and create a visual "gateway" linking vehicular traffic from I-95 to the downtown New Rochelle retail district. Streets to be refurbished include Garden Street, Cedar Street, North Avenue between Garden and Main streets, and two sections of Huguenot Street.

Streetscape improvements include resurfacing the roadways and sidewalks, the installation of decorative pavers at cross-walks and plazas, trees and other landscaping, pleasant street lights, benches, bollards, colorful fencing, signange and banners.

More than just an economic boost to New Rochelle, New Roc City will fill the physical void left by the vacant New Rochelle Mall and rekindle confidence in a downtown poised on the threshold of rebirth.