When I first ran for a city council position in 2010 as a young husband and new father, I did so with a sense of extreme excitement for the future. Despite being in the depths of the Great Recession at that time, I knew that there were greater days ahead for New Rochelle. These past eight years as a New Rochelle council member have been my most rewarding professional experience ever; therefore, it is very much bittersweet for me today to announce that I will not be seeking re-election as the District 3 representative on the New Rochelle City Council.
In what will culminate in nine total years in office, I have been blessed with overwhelming community support which allowed me to follow through on the legislative agenda that I initially put forward. My three main focuses throughout my tenure have been job creation, the strengthening of our neighborhoods, and supporting our youth. With the city now being in a healthy fiscal position, I was largely able to effectuate these priorities.
While working with a super group of council colleagues and city staff, we were able to usher forward the most ambitious downtown development plan ever in the history of New Rochelle. What was once becoming a deserted area is now bustling with new development that will provide new housing — market rate and affordable, commercial retail space, hotels, and exciting street level activity. Essentially, our downtown will be the place to live, work, and play. One of my greatest honors for the downtown was chairing the Ruby Dee Commemorative Committee which eventually renamed the Library Green Park into the Ruby Dee Park at Library Green. Through this park, a great New Rochelle icon will forever live on in our hearts and minds as we casually stroll and relax in this downtown open green space.
With new downtown investment, comes thousands of permanent jobs to be created within the next decade. To prepare for that, I helped draft new Economic Opportunity and Non-Discrimination legislation which created the city’s first ever First Source Referral Center. In a mere two years, this free job training service for residents, located in our downtown, has placed hundreds of New Rochelleians with good jobs. We are currently in the process of securing additional funding for comprehensive construction training for Opportunity Youth who reside in New Rochelle so that we can better introduce vocational careers to young people looking to get started.
In an effort to strengthen our neighborhoods, after serving on a planning committee between city officials, Iona College representatives, and community members, we were able to put together a framework for combining all our respective interests into a plan for the reinvigoration of North Avenue. Today, we have a new residence hall, new businesses, and new development occurring on the North Avenue strip between Iona College and our downtown. For the Lincoln Avenue Corridor, improvements made to Lincoln Park implemented through our Master Plan in playground upgrades, new community gardens, and state of the art basketball courts have significantly improved the quality of life for area residents. I also helped to sponsor Lincoln Avenue Corridor community clean-up days which brought together hundreds of area residents to volunteer together; it truly was all about unity in the community.
Most recently, I am ecstatic to have been able to set the stage for the 10 million dollar ($10,000,000.00) Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from New York State. As a Vice co-chair of the Local Planning Committee for the DRI grant, I am working with city, state, and community representatives to come up with a spending plan to revitalize and better physically connect the Lincoln Avenue Corridor with our downtown. After creating the Lincoln Avenue Task Force, which was a precursor to the DRI process, we are now in an ideal position to collaborate with Lincoln Avenue Corridor residents to finally put forward tangible solutions to traffic concerns, workforce housing needs, and opportunities for area residents to take advantage of the jobs, services, and transportation options available in the downtown.
As an advocate for all New Rochelle youth, I am thrilled to announce that both the city and school district have doubled their investment in My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle (MBK New Ro). In this unique partnership of which I have had the pleasure of being the co-chair, New Rochelle in 2015 became the first Westchester community to accept former President Obama’s MBK Community Challenge. This collective impact initiative is designed to focus on positive life outcomes for young people, particularly boys and young men of color and has affected hundreds of local New Rochelle youth across the age spectrum.
With our MBK team, among many things, we were able to help build a brand new library at the Bracey Houses, send hundreds of young people to summer camp for free, facilitate positive interactions between young people and the police, provide externships for high school students to learn more about in-demand industries, and foster positive conversations around race using films, books, and guest speakers. I was especially proud to represent New Rochelle at the White House when I met President Obama for our national MBK symposium. Additionally, as a product of the Remington Boys and Girls Club, I am delighted to announce that plans are underway to build a brand new, state of the art Remington facility right on the same lot upon which it currently sits.
Needless to say, I have put in a lot of work in these past eight plus years, and I am now ready to pass the baton to someone else. It is nice to look back at the younger me in the below picture and to see what my goals were in 2010 and how much has been done. I gave my all to this position on the New Rochelle city council because of my love for our city and will continue to do so for the remainder of the year. Because of this experience, I am forever a different person and am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve. Again, thank you for your continued support.
(My 2010 pre-election mailer)
