ROCHELLE eChanging W CITY OF NE &!#%/& ASPECIAL New SUPPLEMENTTO WESTCHESTER Rochelle COMMERCEMAGAZINE $*5:0'/&830$)&--& /&8:03, The Changing Face of New Rochelle #X+NGM+NQC@M The fortunes of the Queen Q There are a number of major projects We are approaching that in a num- that have broken ground of late and oth- ber of ways. We have increased the mini- City along Long Island ers in the pipeline. What is your view on mum lot size in many neighborhoods for the developments taking place in the city? new development. We’ve acquired and Sound are definitely chang- protected open space. We are investing in MAYORBRAMSON New Rochelle is our recreational assets and we are focus- ing. The city’s turn-around making very exciting progress today. We ing more intently on environmental con- are experiencing the most dramatic trans- servation and protection. began in earnest during the formation in our modern history and I believe that the progress under way today QIs the new development fostering administration of Mayor will result in a city that is more vibrant investment by existing property owners in economically and more cosmopolitan the downtown district? Timothy Idoni in the late culturally. I think it is essential that we maintain the momentum with respect to MAYORBRAMSON 1990s. It is gathering steam well-planned economic development in New Rochelle is approach- our downtown core. At the same time we ing a tipping point. The under the current admin- recognize that there are many things we large-scale development is achieving a sufficient critical istration of Mayor Noam must do in order to ensure that the devel- opment results in a higher quality of life mass to begin breathing new Bramson. – traffic management, adequate public life and energy into our older parking, high quality architectural design commercial centers. You see Westchester Commerce and amenities for an area that will be the that in the restaurants that are mostly densely populated neighborhood opening – Mo’s New York Grill sat down with the newly in New Rochelle. We need to devote sig- (owned by Yankees star pitcher nificant attention to commercial corridors Mariano Rivera) which has just elected mayor to discuss his such as North Avenue, Union Avenue and opened, a series of new restau- West Main Street, which have not seen a rants on Division Street and on views on the changing for- sufficient level of investment in recent Lawton Street. And often restau- years. We are mindful of the fact that even rants are the vanguard of urban tunes of the city. as we encourage urban density and scale renewal. (Editor’s Note: Some of in the heart of our downtown, we have to the other new restaurants that have COVER New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson is presiding over a protect the suburban quality of life in our opened of late in the city include: city in the midst of a dramatic transformation. Photo by John Vecchiolla neighborhoods. Rangoli Indian Cuisine, Red Lotus, 2 WC 2006 • CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE 5)&$)"/(*/('"$&0'/&830$)&--& Da Vinci Café and Bella Bella). You see it from a train station that is in the heart QThe city some years ago was teetering reflected in the willingness of downtown of our downtown, a nine-mile shore- on bankruptcy. How are the city’s financ- property owners to invest their capital in line that is within walking distance of es today? improvements. I am very excited about our downtown and will become even the façade restoration program that is more accessible as our Echo Bay renew- MAYORBRAMSON The city’s finan- under way at the Curtain Shop and Dia- al plans get underway, a diverse cosmo- cial condition has substantially improved. mond Glass… There is a clear, obvious, politan quality to its population, which That improvement is the result of our positive change…That is likely to acceler- I believe makes our city more exciting strengthening local economy and some ate as the projects, which are under con- and a wonderful history that dates back difficult budgetary decisions that we struction today, get filled with residents to the 17th Century. Each wave of set- made a number of years ago. This year of New Rochelle and as the additional projects, which are tlers and immigrants has left its mark the City Manager is proposing a budget in the planning stages, move forward on this city, in our culture, our architec- that includes a very modest adjustment in toward construction. ture and in our monuments… Even as taxes, a healthy fund balance and a variety we are constructing new projects, we are of new initiatives that are intended both to QRecent reports have sales activity at the paying more attention to preserving and strengthen our core services and to invest Trump Plaza development bucking the rehabilitating our historic architectural in the livability of the city as we look ahead trend of lower sales volume both in West- assets so that there will be a har- to the future. chester and across the nation. What do monious relationship between the you make of it? old and the new. We want New Rochelle to retain its unique MAYORBRAMSON I think that sense of place and charm and speaks to New Rochelle’s underlying that’s an important part of strengths — easy access to Manhattan planning as well. Another clear indicator of a city on the rise is new business openings. In the downtown, a number of new restaurants have opened their doors recently, including New York Yankee relief ace Mariano Rivera’s Mo’s New York Grill and the DaVinci’s Café. 2006 • CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE WC 3 $*5:0'/&830$)&--& /&8:03, Reclaiming The Waterfront At Echo Bay he City of New Rochelle is experienc- ed developer for the venture. The city is use project and would create a destina- ing an unprecedented development hopeful that will take place by the end of tion development. Tboom in its downtown district and is the year. The firms being considered for The commissioner said that after a now poised to take advantage of its attrac- the ambitious venture include Forest City selection was made, the city would then tive waterfront and strategic location near Enteprises, WCI Communities and Twin- work with the designated developer to final- New York City. ing Properties. ize the program of development, specifically Developers such as Donald Trump, Based on the work undertaken by the amount of commercial, retail and resi- Louis Cappelli, Joseph Simone and a host of community planning firm JJR, the city dential space the Echo Bay project would others have invested hundreds of millions is envisioning a comprehensive water- have, along with the plan for open space of dollars in the Queen City and have plans front development plan. The plan and parkland that would be developed. for nearly $2 billion of new development includes about 60-acres of city park- The plan would then be submitted to that will break ground in coming years. land, public and privately owned land the City Council for approval. If green-light- Westchester Commerce talked with that would involve a low-density, mixed ed, the development would then be subject some of the leaders in New Rochelle and the companies behind these ambitious endeavors to learn more about what’s in store for this Southern Westchester city. Mayor Bramson described the ambi- tious Echo Bay project as “the most excit- ing and significant project in the city’s history.” The project site will encompass a minimum of ten acres, expandable up to 25 acres. He said the intent of the project would be to activate the city’s waterfront parks and to create sight lines from sur- rounding neighborhoods so that they can take advantage of the city’s shoreline. “Because of the way our shoreline has been mis-developed over the past 100 years, in many areas you could be with- in a stone’s throw of the water’s edge and have no sense of proximity to the Sound,” the mayor noted. “And the Echo Bay proj- ect will completely open up vistas to Long Island Sound and create extensive public access to the water’s edge.” Commissioner of Development Craig King said at deadline that the city was in the process of selecting a designat- At press time the city was poised to select a designated developer for its Echo Bay waterfront redevelopment plan. 4 WC 2006 • CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE 5)&$)"/(*/('"$&0'/&830$)&--& to environmental reviews. He said the proj- ect could possibly break ground by 2009. Local Business Commissioner King agreed with the mayor on the importance of the Echo Bay project to the city. “In terms of land and in “ Deserves a terms of impact it is the most important project New Rochelle has ever undertak- Local Bank. en,” he said. “It certainly will enormous- ly affect residential development in the Bill McCarthy downtown because it activates our great- Business Development Officer est asset, our waterfront, which is with- in walking distance of our downtown and our train station. It really gives us a com- Our people make things happen. petitive advantage in Westchester County Get to know” us. and the region that no other community possesses.” . & # $""" . $""" " " !# . !"# &! &$! !# ! . !# !"" "!%" ', * Subject to credit approval. - #), () ) ,+* , SUBURBAN PUBLISHING, INC. Supplement prepared for the City of New Rochelle and with the cooperation of Jeremy Schulman, Director, New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency Omar Small, Assistant to the City Manager VICEPRESIDENTPUBLISHERJOHNSENG EDITORJOHNJORDAN ARTDIRECTORBRIDGETHERLIHY Serving CHAIRMANANGELORMARTINELLI New Rochelle with PRODUCTIONMANAGERRICHARDOESTERLE BUSINESSMANAGERETHELNOLAN Newly Renovated ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANTANGELIQUEBODDEN GROUPPUBLISHER RALPHAMARTINELLI Banquet, Meeting and SUBURBAN PUBLISHING, INC.