What a summer! I am thrilled to share some exciting updates since my last newsletter. Let’s dive into some city-wide highlights. If you don't already, follow me on social:
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3rd Annual Taste of Union Avenue Festival
I had a fantastic time at this year's 3rd Annual Taste of Union Avenue festival! The festival featured live entertainment, children's games, arts and crafts, and mouthwatering dishes from all over Latin America.
The businesses on Union Avenue truly shined, with over 65 Hispanic/Latino-owned local business owners participating. With thousands of community members in attendance, this festival was a wonderful celebration of our local small businesses and culturally rich community. Special thanks to our city’s professional teams who worked together to bring this amazing event to life!
Yadira Representing New Rochelle
Ribbon Cuttings for Over 600 NEW Residential Units: On July 24th and 25th I was able to speak at the ribbon cutting for 2 new buildings - totaling over 600 new units, both built in partnership with RXR. What was particularly moving was the ribbon cutting for Highgarden Tower which is a fully affordable building totaling 219 units. 77 of the units are reserved for families led by domestic violence survivors. The building will also house a 2 story community center which will focus on workforce development and small business incubation. Read more about 2 Clinton Place and Highgarden.
Smoke Shop Store Closures In New Rochelle: Tony Aiello of CBS 2 spent a few minutes discussing recent smoke shop closures in New Rochelle and asked me to share my perspective.
Section 8 Housing: In June, New Rochelle's housing applications for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 8 vouchers for the first time in four years. News 12 stopped by to chat with me and learn more about this important program in New Rochelle.
Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative: I was invited to join the initiative's eighth class of mayors and senior municipal leaders to participate in a yearlong professional management training program. The 2024 class includes 39 mayors from 11 countries across five continents. Even more exciting, two of the City’s senior administrators also are able to take part in the training in an effort to allow us to build leadership capacity. I am so excited to learn and implement the new skills and perspectives to our amazing City Hall. More to come!
Kamala Harris: I am so honored to serve as a delegate to this year's DNC and thrilled to join many other delegates in endorsing her to be the next President of our great country!
Evanston, Illinois, and New Rochelle, NY: Take a look at the wonderful piece in which Evanston extols the positives of New Rochelle's work in our downtown revitalization.
New Rochelle Council Updates
Smoke Shop Moratorium Passed: While the moratorium is in place the City has 6 months to work on legislation that will help us to address issues such as the location of smoke shops and their proximity to certain locations and create legislation that will mitigate a proliferation of smoke shops in close proximity to cannabis dispensaries.
Civilian Complaint Review Board: Public comment for the legislation enacting this body is scheduled to take place on September 10th. Take a look at the presentation to city council and the ensuing council discussion here. If you scroll to items 13 and 14 on the right you can find the language of the proposed legislation.
City Wide Stormwater Mitigation Meetings: I am thrilled to report eight meetings were hosted (broken down by district with districts five and six receiving two meetings given the amount of land in the districts). The meetings allowed for fruitful two-way dialogue between staff/engineers and residents. You can find recordings and decks for each district specific meeting here and in one of the upcoming October city council meetings you can expect an update from the Commissioner with respect to takeaways from the meetings and an initial list of projects planned for 2025.
First Flood Mitigation Project Breaks Ground: The City's first project broke ground at the intersection of Harmon and Storer. Set for completion in the fall, the initial project will implement design and construction upgrades throughout the area’s stormwater piping to reduce flooding impacts. Over a dozen additional projects are set to be implemented throughout the next 2 years.
New Marina Parking Deck Construction: As a further investment in New Rochelle’s infrastructure and waterfront, the Marina Parking Deck, adjacent to the City’s Municipal Marina off Echo Avenue, is being demolished and rebuilt. This capital project replaces a deteriorating structure more than a half-century old with a new parking deck, three garages, and a new office and headquarters for the Marina staff serving under New Rochelle’s Harbormaster. The project is expected to be complete by spring 2025. Additional Information can be found here.
Update on Development: A robust update on the state of development and preview of proposed actions to help galvanize retail in the downtown can be found here.
Update regarding City Manager Search: We expect the job posting will be finalized and circulated in early August.
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Hispanic Community Needs Survey
Westchester County's Hispanic Advisory Board is proud to announce a new comprehensive survey targeting the Latino community. The survey aims to gather insights and data from the Latino community within Westchester County and address various aspects such as education, healthcare, employment, housing, and social services.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication and involvement in New Rochelle’s growth. Your support is essential to our success, and I encourage you to remain engaged and informed about our city’s initiatives. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions, concerns, or ideas. Only together can we continue moving New Rochelle Forward.
Regards,
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