Elwood Avenue upgrade to create downtown for Hawthorne, Thornwood

Elwood Avenue
The refurbishment of Elwood Avenue near Broadway in Hawthorne will create a downtown area for Hawthorne and Thornwood, Mount Pleasant officials said. Courtesy the town of Mount Pleasant.

The Mount Pleasant Town Board recently voted to advance the rehabilitation and improvement of the streetscape along Elwood Avenue in Hawthorne. 

The $1.3 million project, awarded to Peter J. Landi Inc. in 2021, includes new sidewalks and bicycle-friendly improvements designed to create a downtown environment that will serve the 10,000 residents of the hamlets of Hawthorne and Thornwood, who currently do not have a downtown area in which to shop or congregate. 

“Our goal is to transform Elwood Avenue into a new downtown area for the people of the surrounding community, ” said Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi. “The new streetscape will provide an inviting environment where the public can safely walk or ride a bicycle to run errands or meet friends. After so many years of work and planning, our vision for a new Elwood Avenue is becoming a reality.” 

The July 9 approval for a purchase order for the streetscape work is the latest improvement in the area. The town also created a new municipal parking lot on Elwood Avenue to promote shopping and a park to sit, have lunch or just relax.   

The streetscape project is also environmentally friendly, as it intends to reduce the number of local auto trips, increase pedestrian and bicycle use, reduce the delays and emission of traveling vehicles, upgrade streetlights to more decorative, energy-efficient LED lighting and reduce the potential effects of storm water through the installation of pervious materials and other resources.  

For more, visit https://www.mtpleasantny.com/. 

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