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White Plains Library is opening a new cafe. 

White Plains Library's new cafe opens next week.(Photo: Rich Liebson/The Journal News)

WHITE PLAINS - Patrons of the city's library will soon be able to enjoy conversations, sip Barista-brewed coffee and munch on light foods when the new "Everyday Healthy Cafe" opens next week.

A years-long renovation and re-invention of the four-decade-old White Plains Library resulted in the opening of "The Trove" children's library in 2005 and "The Edge" library for teens in 2013.

Since then, there have been renovations throughout the building, including the creation of a community meeting room, smaller conference rooms and office space. 

"Our redesign is focused on meeting the needs of adults," Director Brian Kenney said. "We've made it exciting for our young people, and now we want to make it exciting for adults."

Enter the cafe — a public-private partnership between the library, city and Sam's of Gedney Way. The restaurant has similar facilities at White Plains Hospital and the hospital's Center for Cancer Care.

Peter Herrero, the restaurant's owner, "has lived in White Plains his whole life and is involved in a lot of community-related activities," said Joe Sasso, executive chef at Sam's. "When he heard that the library wanted to open a cafe, he jumped at the opportunity."

He said the cafe, in keeping with its name, will offer fresh, healthy drinks and snacks.

The cafe had a soft opening this week in preparation for its grand opening, scheduled for 11 a.m. on May 9. The cafe will be open from 7:30 a.m. to library closing time, but may begin opening at 6:30 a.m. if the demand is there.

"I think it's a fabulous idea, and I hope it does very well," said Vanessa Greenbaum, who was at the library Thursday with her toddler grandson for "Trove Time," a literacy playtime program. "I'd love to get some coffee or tea while I'm here."

The bright, spacious cafe seats about 20, with tables and chairs for another 16 patrons outside, weather-permitting. The cafe offers a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies and other drinks, along with "grab and go" foods including breakfast sandwiches, paninis and more.

Adding to the cafe's ambiance is the Friends of the White Plains Library used book store, also located in the space once occupied by periodicals and microfilm machines. A browser's delight for decades, the store offers an eclectic mix of gently used books, all priced at $1 or less.

"We're fortunate in that we have a very large facility, so we had space to work with in creating the cafe," Kenney said. "People love used book stores, so putting them together is a nice combination."

In all, some $2.5 million was spent on the recent improvements. That included a $1 million donation from an anonymous benefactor, a $1 million match from the city and $500,000 raised by the White Plains Library Foundation.

The result, Kenney said, is a revitalized community destination.

"In the digital age, I think people are looking for ways to come together," he said. "People want to connect face-to-face, especially if they've been sitting in front of a screen all day."

Visit whiteplainslibrary.org to learn more about the library's programs and events.

Twitter: @RichLiebson

The Examiner News

White Plains Hospital Cuts the Ribbon on a New Entrance and Lobby

September 22, 2015 By Pat Casey

White Plains Hospital cut the ribbon an a new lobby entrance Monday morning. Twenty-five-foot  glass walls provide natural light and a clear view of the Hospital’s upgraded and newly planted streetscape. Such natural light and landscaping are designed to reduce stress. The glass is treated with a frit pattern that reduces glare as well as heat gain in the space. John Vecchiolla

It’s bright, it’s modern, it’s inspiring and it’s designed to be the gateway to an evolving new White Plains Hospital campus.

The ribbon was cut Monday morning on the new hospital lobby, which some are calling the lobby of “the hospital for the future.” Taking its cue from the Hospitality industry the new lobby features interior design by Perkins Eastman, with 25-foot glass walls, a floating staircase, and a café run by New York Hospitality Group and White Plains’ own Peter Herrero, owner of Sam’s of Gedney Way.

“This lobby is not just an entrance to a new building, but the gateway to a new era for White Plains Hospital,” WPH President & CEO Susan Fox  explained. “This is a major step in the redesign of our campus to better serve our community, bringing in more advanced services and an even greater focus on providing our patients with an exceptional experience.”

White Plains Hospital commissioned an installation by New York sculptor Paul Villinski, whose soaring clusters of butterflies—forged from recycled cans—inspire feelings of beauty, hope, and renewal among those who view his work. Both individual seating and café seating are out in the lobby’s atrium, where the double-height space is anchored by artichoke light fixtures designed by the Danish designer Poul Henningsen for the international lighting manufacturer Louis Polsen. John Vecchiolla Photo

“This new facility was created with an architectural and interior design philosophy that started with a feeling of hospitality to provide a comfortable environment for patients and families,” Fox continued. Its attractive, modern construction and design were specifically intended to inspire confidence by sending a message that patients, families, and visitors will receive technologically advanced care at White Plains Hospital. The lobby’s 25-foot-high glass walls that bathe the interior with natural light, noise-quieting tiles and beautiful artwork are intended to help to offset the stresses that often go along with a hospital visit.

When visitors drive up to the lobby’s Davis Avenue entrance, there is a new porte cochère to protect them from the elements. After drivers park in the hospital garage, they can cross over to the lobby using the J. Michael Divney skybridge, a glass-enclosed walkway named for the hospital’s immediate past board chairman.

A newly planted streetscape is visible through the walls of windows and wooden planters are generously distributed throughout the lobby. Natural materials are used everywhere: wood flows from the building’s exterior into the lobby and wraps into the entranceway. A walnut feature wall, terrazzo flooring, soft carpeting, comfortable seating, greenery, and noise-dampening ceiling tiles allow for quiet conversation and relaxation.

In addition, the hospital commissioned an art installation by New York sculptor Paul Villinski, whose soaring clusters of butterflies—forged from recycled cans—inspire feelings of beauty, hope, and renewal among those who view his work.

Laurence R. Smith, Chairman of the Board of Directors at White Plains Hospital, delivered the opening address at a gathering of about 200 elected officials, hospital staff members, representatives of the media and other guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of White Plains Hospital’s new lobby and cafe on September 21. 

The new lobby also features the Everyday Healthy Café, with seating in the atrium. The concept was conceived by the hospital in conjunction with Peter Herrero. Everyday Healthy Café offers locally sourced fruits and vegetables, organic choices, freshly squeezed vegetable juices to order, and wraps. Visitors who want to pick up a gift will find items at the lobby’s gift store, which will include wares made by local artisans.

White Plains Hospital will soon unveil the rest of the new, six-story building. On the third floor, surgeons will begin using five new operating suites that are specifically designed to bear the weight and size of highly advanced surgical equipment. The fourth and fifth floors will provide two dozen new private patient rooms, while the sixth floor will house a spacious maternity unit, with private patient rooms and expanded labor and delivery suites.

One of the last phases of White Plains Hospital’s four-year capital transformation project will be completed late in 2015: a new 40,000-square-foot addition to the Cancer Center that will nearly double the space for the hospital’s growing number of cancer experts, researchers and clinical trials. The lobby in the Cancer Center echoes the main lobby with floor-to-ceiling glass, natural earth tones, and greenery. Additional amenities, such as a water feature and library will be included.

Filed Under: The White Plains Examiner