There”™s a new revolution happening in the city of “Common Sense.”
More than two centuries after Thomas Paine”™s departure from New Rochelle, main streets across the country are coming back and James Killoran is riding the crest.
On any given day, New Rochelle residents might see the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester rummaging through trash looking for treasures, cycling around the city or walking down the street between Habitat”™s two re-stores on Main Street.
He even lives on Main Street.
“It”™s a critical time for main streets,” Killoran said. “The big developers can”™t get a line of credit, but the people who run their small businesses and put their whole heart and soul into it are still here. And if you want to think organically, you”™re going to shop locally, visit your main streets in your town or city, support small businesses and buy green products.
That”™s a community development model that we have to help create, to build affordable housing and encourage public transportation.”
Habitat for Humanity of Westchester has built more than 50 homes in the county, rehabbed more than 100 homes through the “Brush Through Kindness” program and provided aid for more than 130 FEMA disaster-struck homes after the April 2007 nor”™easter hit Westchester.
Killoran, who has been the executive director for 10 years, runs two re-stores, or “second-hand Home Depots” in New Rochelle and one in Yonkers. He says hello to everyone he passes on the street (in multiple languages, reflecting New Rochelle”™s long tradition of diversity) and wears untied sneakers from the re-store. Although he admits he has been referred to as “the Don Quixote of New Rochelle” by some, he is unwavering in his commitment to the city and to its people.
“I”™ll go as far as to say Main Street was boring before Jim showed up,” said Louis Vaccaro, owner of New Rochelle”™s The Curtain Shop. “Now we”™ve got a situation where Jim brings all kinds of different people to Main Street, when he”™s doing one of his builds, when he”™s walking banks through the area to introduce them to businesses to show them what”™s going on. We”™ve got all different types of customers who are coming from other areas because he”™s got this eclectic mix of furniture and different wares that you can”™t find anywhere, and he pulls people in.”
Killoran said Habitat for Humanity has 550 re-stores across the country. The re-stores in New Rochelle have a donated piano on which the score for “South Pacific” was written, Norman Rockwell prints and furniture.
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Vaccaro said the “most recent, fun thing” he”™s experienced with Killoran was a fundraiser at the historic Chase building on Main Street in June. It featured signed prints by contemporary pop artist Charles Fazzino, drew people from outside the city.
“They raised a lot of money for a good cause and it was a win-win situation for everyone,” Vaccaro said.
One of Killoran”™s long-term goals is to get a full-time trolley in New Rochelle.
“Parking is the No. 1 argued-about issue across every downtown in America,” Killoran, a member of National Main Street Historical Preservation Trust, said. “It would provide free public transportation, a sense of history and pride and connection to your community and decrease parking problems.”
Killoran said NYSERDA (the state”™s energy arm) has chosen Habitat as one of the four greenest contractors in the state.
“We”™ve been green since 1997,” Killoran said. “We serve the lowest-income families, saving them utilities, because a utility payment can mean the difference between a foreclosure or a mortgage payment. So we see our mission as not only building sustainable housing, but being an advocate for greening communities.”
Killoran is calling this “the summer of change.”
“This is a year that the county is getting sued $150 million for lack of affordable housing,” Killoran said. “There”™s been a lot of smoke and mirrors, and that”™s with the utmost respect to everyone involved. It”™s time that we create real communities again in Westchester and there”™s no better time in our history to do it from the bottom up.”
Killoran started SoNoNewRo (South of North Avenue in New Rochelle), a downtown neighborhood association of residents and businesses.
Every day, Habitat has 100 volunteers doing something in Westchester and on the weekends even more. Major companies like Disney and Goldman Sachs participate in building; companies including Starwood Hotels and apartment developer Avalon Communities donate materials and furniture.
“I looked at a bunch of nonprofits, and I walked in here and I loved it,” said Habitat volunteer Nicholas Reed, an economics student at Fordham University. “It”™s the best charity work I”™ve ever done. I was building in Mamaroneck three days last week and on the last day about 90 businesspeople came in two buses, which was cool.”
For Killoran, who describes himself as “somewhat of a sociologist, somewhat of a business person and somewhat of a marketer,” humanitarian efforts go hand in hand with a viable community.
“People realize that giving back is the essence of the success of any community, not just with fancy taxpayer programs, but also getting out there and doing it yourself,” Killoran said. “I”™ve taken some hits for it, too, but I”™m proud of what we”™ve done, and the most proud thing is people respect us. They know we”™re here helping. There”™s no hidden agenda.” And Killoran certainly isn”™t giving up on Main Street.
“It”™s time to change so that you can have your grandkids and walk up Main Street and there”™ll be a book store and a music store and you”™ll see an artist and you”™ll see a juggler,” Killoran said. “It”™s time. We”™ve been ”˜mall-ed”™ out. Malls ruined our communities. They really did. We had to drive out; we had to commute; we had to pollute. This is an exciting time, but we have to move on it, and that”™s why this is called the summer of change.”
The web site is habitatwc.org
