Opinion: New Rochelle's Master Plan for Revitalization

Living and working in New Rochelle all my life gives me some insider perspective to the development I see happening here. I call it “cautious optimism”. I hope that the city planners are able to pull it off this time. Here are my thoughts on the matter:

I wonder what the craftsman from La Rochelle, France who founded the city in 1699, would think of the strides made in recent years to rehabilitate its infrastructure and historic downtown. Recently the New Rochelle City Council selected a master developer to finalize a plan for revitalizing city-owned land around New Rochelle’s Transportation Center and along its downtown Main Street corridor. New Rochelle’s vision for the future is to become a dynamic urban/suburban community and a key economic growth area in the region. This vision incorporates housing, retail, commercial, office and hotel space, centered around pedestrian-friendly areas and an excellent transportation infrastructure.

The idea is to create convenient places for people to live, shop, eat and work which will, in turn, attract new business and provide affordable housing and recreation for young professionals in Westchester. The plan is to dramatically re-shape New Rochelle’s downtown area while also spurring economic growth and job creation for the entire region.

I am cautiously optimistic that the time is finally right for the revitalization of New Rochelle. Although New Rochelle has actually fostered a significant amount of development in the last decade, it has not yet realized its full potential.

New Rochelle has a lot to offer. It is home to historic neighborhoods, a strong urban core and diverse commercial spaces. There are three higher education institutions, including Monroe College which is growing and expanding. The city has a beautiful shoreline on the Long Island Sound and access to great transportation. If the city planners can breathe new life into the heart of the city, the entire area will benefit.

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