Newest Westchester Park Breaks Ground After State Cash Infusion

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle’s ambitious downtown revitalization plans took a huge step forward today when city and state officials broke ground on the new Heritage Park.

Heritage Park is the first among dozens of planned projects partially funded through the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant from New York State. On Wednesday, Heritage Homes Developer MacQuesten Development and the City of New Rochelle, broke ground on the $1.1 million park, sports facility and playground.

The new public space is intended to help link the downtown core to affordable housing in the Lincoln Avenue section of the city. The Heritage Homes 288-unit affordable housing complex is adjacent to the brand new Heritage Park.

The Heritage Homes developer has underwritten much of the cost of the project.

“As New Rochelle makes historic investments in the Lincoln Avenue corridor through the DRI, we are committed to working in partnership with residents to ensure that new amenities reflect community needs and goals,” New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said in his groundbreaking ceremony remarks. “Heritage Park, which will provide children and families with a safe and attractive place to play and enjoy the outdoors, is an outstanding example of this principle.”

The Heritage Park project will kick off a sprint to complete a number of downtown projects funded through the DRI, which Governor Cuomo awarded in 2018. Plans call for the creation of a “black box” theater and art education center, the transformation of Memorial Highway into a public open space known as “The Linc” and dozens of traffic and pedestrian upgrades to make the downtown area more accessible.

“Where there is fresh air and light - things grow,” New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority Executive Director Angela Davis-Farrish said. “This new playground will provide an opportunity for our Heritage Homes children to play, imagine and grow. What a blessing.”

Construction at Heritage Park is expected to be completed by early summer - giving neighbors plenty of warm weather months to grow in the air and light of Westchester’s newest recreation space.