Yonkers’ Van der Donck Park – a place of ecological and economic renewal

Van der Donck Park, the $48 million daylighting of the Saw Mill River in Larkin Plaza, began construction in 2010 and opened in 2012. A decade after its inauguration, real estate investment surrounding the park has risen to $582.6 million.

A public park designed to accelerate green renewal in Yonkers”™ downtown has spurred more than half a billion dollars in private investment a decade since its inauguration.”¯ 

The $48 million daylighting of the Saw Mill River at Van der Donck Park — dedicated in 2012 ”“ led to $582.6 million in surrounding development, including the recent opening of the Great Point Studios/Lionsgate facility just a block from the park. 

“Yonkers”™ commitment to green redevelopment didn”™t end with uncovering the Saw Mill River at Larkin Plaza,” said Mayor Mike Spano.  “Since taking office in 2012, my administration has ”˜daylighted”™ two more sections of the river and expanded recreational opportunities with new fitness centers in parks, renovated playgrounds and new sports fields like the soccer mini-pitch at Pelton Park, which opened in September. The city now has the resources to build a new, three-acre waterfront park near the Ludlow Station and a new athletic field near the Boyce Thompson Center.” 

With funds allocated by former Gov. George Pataki, Yonkers officials and Groundwork Hudson Valley began planning to uncover the river in the late 2000s. 

”¯After the park opened, rising property values around Van der Donck Park lifted Yonkers”™ finances. Spano said that Yonkers leveraged the new revenue streams from this development to improve public schools and infrastructure. Yonkers”™ current adopted budget of $1.4 billion is about 46% higher than the budget adopted the year the park opened. 

In its September issue,”¯National Geographic”¯celebrated the success of Van der Donck Park, which has won landscape and architectural design awards. The magazine stated that “Nothing illustrates the promise of urban conservation more poetically than ”˜daylighting”™ a creek.” 

Spano called the park”™s success a vindication for his predecessors, who at times faced skepticism and ridicule for envisioning a new downtown.  

“Thanks to what was once considered a crazy idea of sacrificing parking to uncover a buried river, the city is delivering on a promise of greener urban spaces, upgraded parks and better access to magnificent waterfronts,” Spano added.