Waterfront Plans Get A Boost With Armory Lawsuit Tossed

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A lawsuit over redevelopment plans at the site of the Naval Armory has been dismissed, allowing New Rochelle to move forward with its ambitious waterfront plans.

New York Supreme Court Judge Charles Wood said that the veterans group that filed the lawsuit in 2019 lacked standing to object to the city turning the property over to the developer planning a retail, residential and public space on the stretch of New Rochelle waterfront adjacent to the armory. The groups representing the veterans opposed to the armory plans had argued that turning the site over to private developers violated the terms of the agreement which transferred the property from the state of New York to the city of New Rochelle.

The city purchased the property from the state for the amount of one dollar. The sale agreement was conditional on New Rochelle preserving the property as public space. The plaintiffs argued that putting the armory in the hands of a private developer violated the terms of the sale.

In dismissing the suit, Judge Wood ruled that because development plans will require additional legislative approval before moving forward, objections from the veterans groups, including the Westchester County Veterans Council and American Legion Post 8, were premature. Although this lawsuit was dismissed, the veterans groups have vowed to continue the legal fight.

"The actual veteran community has got the win," Veterans' Advisory Committee Chair Brett Morash said in a social media post lauding the decision. "The building has been saved and space made available for Veteran Service Organizations."

On its website, Twining Properties has released plans to use the currently dilapidated naval armory structure as a dining and commercial use facility as part of the development project. The company says it will reserve space for the use of veterans groups as well. The Echo Bay waterfront project is planned to have a town square feel with dozens of mixed use buildings, gathering areas, greenspace and even a new public pier.