The New Rochelle City Council approved a new agreement with Twining Properties LLC on Feb. 7 to develop 12.5 acres of city property at Echo Bay.
Twining, based in New York City, has proposed a $300 million mixed-use project, called Pratt Landing, in an industrial area at the edge of downtown.
The general concept is to convert industrial property to a village-like setting that opens up views of the Long Island Sound and connects the waterfront to downtown.
Twining will have to decontaminate City Yard, a public works facility built in 1916 that has devolved into an eyesore of garages, repair shops, salt piles and recycling areas. Public works will be relocated next year to 70 Nardozzi Place, near Interstate 95.
Twining presented plans to the city council in October that call for creating 450 housing units, 80,000 square feet of retail space, 25,000 square feet of offices, hotel with 100 to 200 rooms and a parking garage on four city blocks near Main, Huguenot and Pratt streets. The developer must also restore and find new use for the decaying New Rochelle Armory that was built in 1931.
Forest City Residential got exclusive rights to develop the site in 2007, but the city council scuttled the project in 2013 after the developer scaled back plans. Twining won exclusive development rights in 2014 and that agreement was expiring.
Under the new agreement, Twining is expected to take 12 to 18 months to prepare an environmental impact statement. If the council likes what it sees, the city and developer can sign a land disposition agreement.
This isn’t really the best site for development. Yes its on the water but it’s also right next door to the sewage plant. I was at Five Islands Park recently and almost got knocked over from the noxious smell and the sewage plant was just upgraded. And since there’s no water at low tide, the sewage plant must only discharge at high tide so I don’t think anyone’s going to use these waters for recreation.
And will this project pay any real estate taxes or will this be another on the long list of tax abated projects? And are the developers/City of New Rochelle going to let the vets take back the Armory so it can finally be put to good use? So sad to see New Rochelle let the Armory sit and rot, much like its NOT maintaining the Ward Acres Barn.
Why not build a state of the art hospital there?
Good point Gee! With more and more people, there is a need for something like that. THAT would definetly make news. It’s a nice area of the city, as long as the sidewalks are fixed and maintained, so I can see development there too. Hey, maybe they will suprise us and do both of sorts.
I was replying to a now deleted comment made by a Gee that suggested building a new state of the art hospital there.