Our Work in Yonkers
A Vision for a Better Future
- Introduction
- What's at Stake
- The Threat
- Our Vision
- Timeline
Scenic Hudson's Alternative Concept Plan for the Yonkers waterfront was developed after engaging in a months-long dialogue with numerous community groups. It reflects the views of Yonkers residents to reconnect with their Hudson River after generations of being cut off from the shoreline by factories and blight. It recognizes that the city has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get this right—to transform its waterfront into a place for the people, not a wall of skyscrapers blocking them from the river forever.
Our alternative proposal for the Yonkers waterfront balances low-rise residential buildings with parks offering public access to the Hudson.
The vision is to create a string of community parks every half-mile from Yonkers' southern boundary to JFK Marina. This will include existing parks and a number of new parks that will create powerful connections between Yonkers neighborhoods, the Hudson River and the Palisades. Much like Hudson River Park—which has turned Manhattan's once-moribund waterfront into a breathtaking, economically vibrant series of public spaces offering myriad opportunities for recreation, entertainment and relaxation—this necklace of greenery will provide a spark plug for renewed and lasting prosperity in downtown Yonkers.
The Alternative Concept Plan includes all lands currently under development or in discussion for development -- Hudson Park Phase II, H & I parcels and Alexander Street Redevelopment Area. It proposes to incorporate new parks within a redeveloped waterfront featuring residential, retail and commercial space. It complies with the city's downtown waterfront master plan, which limits building heights along the riverfront to eight stories.
Key features of the Alternative Concept Plan:
- Public parkland will occupy one-third of the redeveloped waterfront—doubling the acreage in current development proposals.
- All parks will meet the highest design standards.
- Parks will be connected by a river-edge esplanade and greenway at minimum 100 feet wide.
- Each park will be connected across the railroad tracks to adjacent neighborhoods.
- Views of the river and Palisades from adjacent neighborhoods will be protected and enhanced by the new parks.
New parks in Alternative Concept Plan (from south to north):
- Lenape Village Park, Ludlow, connecting to existing O'Boyle Park.
- Ella Fitzgerald Park, created on city-owned property in conjunction with the development of parcels H & I. The Alternative Concept Plan proposes 200 residential units and the new 2.6-acre park.
- Yonkers Unity Park, Alexander Street Redevelopment Area. At 5.5 acres, this will be the largest of the new parks, offering space for recreational uses and city-wide events.
- Point Street Park, a 3.2-acre park for the adjoining Glenwood neighborhood.
- JFK Marina Park, north of the Glenwood Power Station, will become a dramatic extension of existing Trevor Park.
The concept also envisions creating a much-needed sports/recreation deck above a portion of the Yonkers wastewater treatment facility – similar to Riverbank State Park in Harlem.
Existing waterfront parks:
- Hudson River Esplanade Park, near Yonkers Pier
- Habirshaw Park, Beczak Environmental Education Center
- Esplanade under construction as part of Hudson Park Phase II
The Alternative Concept Plan would be a boon to residents and investors. According to a cost-benefit study of Parcels H & I conducted for Scenic Hudson by a credentialed Manhattan investment analyst, the alternative would provide investors with a return of more than 30 percent -- the top-of-the-industry standard.
