Downtown New Rochelle has had its share of ups and downs through the years. Its also seen plenty of redevelopment projects come and go (with various degrees of success). But, the city, and indeed the county as a whole, has never seen an economic development project like the one that is currently being planned for New Ro’s downtown, according to Marissa Brett, President of the Westchester County Association.
“Westchester has never seen a project of this magnitude. This type of holistic approach to economic development gives New Rochelle the opportunity to transform its urban center into a spot where people will aspire to work, live, and play,” Brett said.
The project took a step forward earlier this week when, after a unanimous City Council vote, the City of New Rochelle announced the selection of RDRXR (a joint venture by Long Island-based RXR Realty and Renaissance Downtowns) as master developer. RDRXR’s plan spans multiple sites, and includes mixed-use and transit-oriented development that will include “significant community input and seek to transform spots in the downtown including Library Green and green rooftops,” according to New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson.
The development proposal includes housing, retail, commercial, office, and hotel uses, and will be pedestrian-friendly. RDRXR estimates it will have “shovels in the ground” in 18 to 24 months. View a PowerPoint presentation of the project from RDRXR here.
