Success Stories > CPC stories
Posted: October 21st, 2008
This free seminar and networking event stressed that revitalizing Main Streets is not only critical to the economic health of individual cities, but also to the entire region.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), the City of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Business Improvement District (BID). Attendees included community and economic developers, government officials, and business leaders from nine New York State counties that comprise CPC’s Hudson Valley Region.
The meeting was held in New Rochelle, where one of the most successful downtown revitalization efforts in the Hudson Valley is in progress.
The event continued an ongoing CPC- New Rochelle BID partnership, and highlighted lessons learned from New Rochelle’s downtown redevelopment efforts. The agenda featured key presentations on the New Rochelle Model and Success Story, as well as a walking tour of the revitalized New Rochelle Model Block.
CPC has been closely involved with New Rochelle’s downtown renewal efforts, investing more than $45 million in about 300 units of housing on New Rochelle’s Main Street, as well as $500,000 in façade improvements that leveraged $250,000 in grants. These initiatives have enabled New Rochelle building owners to restore their historic Main Street storefronts and draw people back to the once-vibrant downtown area. (Link to New Rochelle: CPC Helps Restore Building Facades To Spur Downtown Renewal).
The New Rochelle BID continues to initiate projects to bring economic development, new business, and new investment to historic Main Street.
Sadie McKeown, CPC’s Hudson Valley Regional Director, provided an overview of CPC’s involvement in the successful New Rochelle revitalization efforts. She also noted that CPC’s expertise includes projects to help bring back other cities’ downtowns, such as Buffalo (Link to Buffalo: CPC Commits $50 Million to Revitalize Downtown Housing) and Syracuse (Link to CPC Redevelopment Brings Back Downtown).
Other conference speakers included executives of the New Rochelle BID, as well as redevelopment experts from government, business, and community organizations.
Conference panelists drew from their experience in downtown revitalization to discuss such practical topics as:
Strategies to overcome obstacles to redevelopment
Use of the “Community Assessment Model” to identify needs and opportunities
Key redevelopment tools (such as design standards, feasibility studies, and façade programs)
Resources available (such as technical assistance, grants, and loan programs)
The conference also included informal opportunities for attendees to network with one another to share ideas and resources for successful Main Street redevelopment.
Hudson Valley Main Street Summit presentations are available online. Select from the following speakers:
Ralph DiBart, Executive Director, New Rochelle BID
Sadie McKeown, Hudson Valley Regional Director, CPC
Joseph Rabito, Director, Office for Small Cities, New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal
A.J. Coppola, Principal, Coppola Associates
John Simone, President & CEO, Connecticut Main Street Center
New Rochelle: Hudson Valley Summit Offers Ideas For Downtown Redevelopment
The Hudson Valley Main Street Summit, a one-day conference held June 12, 2008, offered valuable information to its region’s communities on best practices to redevelop vibrant Main Streets and downtowns.This free seminar and networking event stressed that revitalizing Main Streets is not only critical to the economic health of individual cities, but also to the entire region.
The conference was co-sponsored by the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), the City of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Business Improvement District (BID). Attendees included community and economic developers, government officials, and business leaders from nine New York State counties that comprise CPC’s Hudson Valley Region.
The meeting was held in New Rochelle, where one of the most successful downtown revitalization efforts in the Hudson Valley is in progress.
CPC/BID Partnership
The event continued an ongoing CPC- New Rochelle BID partnership, and highlighted lessons learned from New Rochelle’s downtown redevelopment efforts. The agenda featured key presentations on the New Rochelle Model and Success Story, as well as a walking tour of the revitalized New Rochelle Model Block.
CPC has been closely involved with New Rochelle’s downtown renewal efforts, investing more than $45 million in about 300 units of housing on New Rochelle’s Main Street, as well as $500,000 in façade improvements that leveraged $250,000 in grants. These initiatives have enabled New Rochelle building owners to restore their historic Main Street storefronts and draw people back to the once-vibrant downtown area. (Link to New Rochelle: CPC Helps Restore Building Facades To Spur Downtown Renewal).
The New Rochelle BID continues to initiate projects to bring economic development, new business, and new investment to historic Main Street.
Sharing Practical Experience
Sadie McKeown, CPC’s Hudson Valley Regional Director, provided an overview of CPC’s involvement in the successful New Rochelle revitalization efforts. She also noted that CPC’s expertise includes projects to help bring back other cities’ downtowns, such as Buffalo (Link to Buffalo: CPC Commits $50 Million to Revitalize Downtown Housing) and Syracuse (Link to CPC Redevelopment Brings Back Downtown).
Other conference speakers included executives of the New Rochelle BID, as well as redevelopment experts from government, business, and community organizations.
Conference panelists drew from their experience in downtown revitalization to discuss such practical topics as:
Strategies to overcome obstacles to redevelopment
Use of the “Community Assessment Model” to identify needs and opportunities
Key redevelopment tools (such as design standards, feasibility studies, and façade programs)
Resources available (such as technical assistance, grants, and loan programs)
The conference also included informal opportunities for attendees to network with one another to share ideas and resources for successful Main Street redevelopment.
View Hudson Valley Main Street Summit Presentations
Hudson Valley Main Street Summit presentations are available online. Select from the following speakers:
New Rochelle Model & Success Story – Overview
Ralph DiBart, Executive Director, New Rochelle BID
Sadie McKeown, Hudson Valley Regional Director, CPC
Main Street Development Resources
Joseph Rabito, Director, Office for Small Cities, New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal
A.J. Coppola, Principal, Coppola Associates
John Simone, President & CEO, Connecticut Main Street Center
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Davenport Lofts on Main - 554 Main Street/25 Leroy Place, New Rochelle
A partnership with CPC, the City & New Rochelle BID created a vibrant economic hub that also preserved its architectural history. CPC invested $45M+ in about 300 units of housing on Main Street through a collaborative redevelopment approach as well as $500,000 in façade improvements that leveraged $250,000 in grants. Davenport Lofts (above- former Bloomingdale’s Building), was vacant for 25 years & redeveloped into a 72-unit live-work loft condo. Construction financing was obtained through CPC & the BID.
The Curtain Shop, 541 Main Street, New Rochelle
Before
After
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Restoration of this building’s historic facade was made possible with the help of
grants from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Empire State
Development Corporation and the City of New Rochelle and an innovative façade loan
program developed by CPC for the New Rochelle BID. The program enables downtown
building owners to obtain ten-year façade loans from CPC at an interest rate of only 3
percent.
543 Main Street, New Rochelle
Before
After
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This building, which sat vacant for years, received a purchase financing Commitment through CPC & the BID’s
Vacant Property Development Loan Program. As a result, 90 condos with on-site parking and ground floor retail
space were newly constructed. The BID Retail Recruitment Program also facilitated the lease/sale of the building’s
5,000sf of commercial space.
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Diamond Glass Building - 555 Main Street, New Rochelle - Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation
This façade had been covered over & the upper two floors had been vacant for decades.
The BID helped develop plans and obtain approvals for redeveloping the two upper floors as
live-work lofts and refurbishing the façade.
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Featured L to R: Ralph DiBart, Executive Director, New Rochelle BID, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson and Sadie McKeown, CPC’s Hudson Valley Regional Director.
The strong partnership between CPC & New Rochelle catalyzed CPC’s Hudson Valley Main Street Summit Series. The goal of the series is to help educate communities which are engaged in revitalization efforts about how they can enhance the Hudson Valley’s ability to develop vibrant Main Streets & downtowns, using New Rochelle as a model. Over 100 Hudson Valley business leaders attended the conference which was co-sponsored by CPC, the City of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle BID.