September 27, 2023
Albany, NY

Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Announces Start of Construction on 76 Unit Affordable Housing Development in Yonkers

Governor Hochul: “And today we break ground on what is known as a transit-oriented development. In some communities, those are scary words. But come to Yonkers. See what we're talking about here. And this is going to be good for the community to strengthen it. Community pride when they see that, yes, this corner came back to life, and it means something, and people call it home. But also, it'll help protect our environment because people won't need to drive to their jobs.”

Hochul: “We have to jumpstart the building of more housing. And in time, people will look back at us and say we had the guts to do this, overcome barriers, but we did it together. And now look at us. Now look at New York. And that's what I'm committed to. I believe that good affordable housing is a human right.”

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the start of construction on 76 affordable apartments and commercial space in downtown Yonkers as part of the State’s efforts to expand housing opportunities near MTA transit hubs. Known as the St. Clair, the development will be subject to leading environmental standards as part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Clean Energy Initiative – a key component of the Governor’s clean energy agenda.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

 Thank you so much. And Paul, after that incredible introduction, I’m really glad your GPS got you to the right corner here. So thank you for the introduction. What I've been talking about since I became Governor is what we're talking about here today. It's seeing spaces like this – ignored, neglected, underutilized, blight, sort of a haunting reminder of the glorious days of past in this great city, this city of gracious living.

Picture yourself in a couple of years, those lucky enough to live in this space, grabbing a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper – read some, not others, my recommendation. Taking a walk, moments to the Metro North Station, literally getting to your job from your home right here. That is phenomenal, but it's not impossible. That's my point. When I see spaces like this, my mind automatically goes to buildings that welcome people, make a new home for someone. And I'm supportive of housing that's affordable, but also market rate, and also luxury because people need a chance to move up to make space for others.

So, that's what I've been so focused on. And today we break ground on what is known as a transit-oriented development. In some communities, those are scary words. But come to Yonkers. See what we're talking about here. And this is going to be good for the community to strengthen it. Community pride when they see that, yes, this corner came back to life, and it means something, and people call it home. But also, it'll help protect our environment because people won't need to drive to their jobs. I've always believed in the great potential of Yonkers. I've known this community a long time. I came from a community; we joke about the cranes being here. When I grew up in Buffalo, my children until they were 30s had never seen one because nobody was building. So, that's the world I come from. I appreciate seeing cranes and I love construction vehicles. I love people who honk horns too. It means the city is alive. But it's got such assets. It has charm and great buildings and diversity and great restaurants. And also has visionary leaders. And that's what pulls me back time and time again to Yonkers.

I love coming here, but I also love the civic spirit that is so alive and well. And yes, it is undoubtedly a great source of pride, but also influence for this community to have as one of your own, the most powerful woman in our legislature, the most powerful leader in our legislature, Andrea Stewart-Cousins. And I want to thank her for her friendship. I have seen firsthand the challenges of navigating through her conference, and she does it like no other. And I do look forward to continuing to deepen our relationship, our friendship because when we're working together, that means we're working for New York. And we're both committed to doing that, so thank you.

I also have such a deep relationship with our County Executive, George Latimer. I've seen him through some of the toughest times. And he always rises up, and his open spirit that this is a community that welcomes people and says, “Yes, we can take care of you. You have a home here.” That is emblematic of the values we cherish as New Yorkers. And thank you, George Latimer and Ken Jenkins and your administration for living that every single day. Let's give them a round of applause.

And the Mayor in Mike Spano, my God, he's energetic. And he's always pointing me, well, once we got a great project over here, he's like, “Well, I've got another one down here, and another one over here, and another one over here.” But I would be the same way. I came out of local government. And when you have a chance to get the ear of people and get their eyes on a project, you can win them over, and you've been so successful in celebrating this community. We've had many conversations, but I do believe under your leadership, this has been a transformed community. So thank you again Mayor Mike Spano.

I’m here to say we have a great Assemblymember representing you in the legislature, who also is a great champion for this community. Always fighting to get the resources to come back home here. Also, I know that Shelley Mayer represents part of Yonkers, and she couldn't be here today, but we've been working very, very closely together.

And then for my team, RuthAnne Visnauskas, I want everyone to give her a huge round of applause. She is a superstar. And she travels this state with that sense of optimism. She sees, as I do, possibilities in neighborhoods like this and in blocks like this. And through her leadership, we are doing the building that was suppressed for so long. We are finding a path forward. And we will get the job done. We are committed to building tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of new housing units right here in the State of New York under the leadership of RuthAnne Visnauskas. Let's give her yet another round of applause.

Then you have to have the private sector visionaries. We can talk all we want about, yes, let's build more housing, but we're relying on partners. People who also love their communities so deeply. People who see the possibilities where others walk past it and say, “Maybe in a few decades we'll do something.” I want to thank Rella Fogliano, the CEO and Founder of MacQuesten, this is not our first project together. We have been at so many ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings from the Bronx to Mount Vernon a couple years ago. And I'll keep coming because I know it's quality projects. You're so proud of them. And I've talked to the people who've had the benefit of living in them, and they are joyful. They're so happy to have a beautiful home. And so, let's give round applause to Rella and Joseph Apicella. Joe, it’s just that energy. And I wish I could bottle all that up and spread all over the state because you're such optimists. You're such believers in this community, and that's what has made the difference in a place like Yonkers. It's people like all the individuals here.

And of course, Paul Adler. He has been the broker of making dreams come true. That'll be your legacy, Paul. Giving people the dignity of a good home and a sense that they belong and that they matter. That's what these housing projects do. So, ladies and gentlemen, let's give a round of applause to Paul Adler.

And consider the alternative. If we don't build more housing, if we keep the status quo, New Yorkers will suffer. They'll suffer directly. The cost of living is getting too high. That's the number one issue people talk about, is the high cost of living. And we can do something about it if we can take on the most expensive cost of living driver for them. That is their rent or their mortgages. Right there.

We can add more housing stock. It's simple – supply and demand. You build more, the prices will come down. You have less, the prices go up. That's what New Yorkers are experiencing right now. And by building more on blocks like this, and next to a train station where it makes all the sense in the world, we can do this. But also opening up other communities and saying, “Don't be afraid of this, because this is where your children and your grandchildren can be raised. This is where our teachers and firefighters and police officers can live. This is where our health care workers can find a home near the hospital or nursing home they work.”

That's what we're talking about, creating homes for people. And why that is so threatening, I don't understand. But we'll work with people. We'll figure it out. We'll get through it. And if we build more, they will come, but better yet, they'll stay. That's what I believe. So, when I first became Governor, we announced with the legislature, a $25 billion affordable housing comprehensive plan to build 100,000 units in our state, and we're on track to hit that.

And this July, I announced several executive actions to move this forward as well, offering incentives, also reducing some of the regulatory burden. Think about this, there are so many projects that are stymied because there's so much red tape. And I spent time as a local official. Elected official, I was town board, I was liaison to the planning board, to the zoning board, to the traffic safety board. So, every project that wanted to go anywhere had to come through and be seen by me. So, I know all the ways that communities can throw up hurdles. And that state government regulations can be a barrier. And people sometimes just say, “I'm out of here. I'm walking. This is just too much.” We have to change that dynamic.

We have to open up the process to make it easier for people to build because we need them. And also, I've directed my team to identify every single state-owned property that can be converted into new life. If I go past a train station, a Metro-North, Long Island Railroad in the city, and I see an empty parking lot, that by day may have some vehicles in it, but at night, it looks like there's tumbleweed blowing through it. There's no life. I'm visualizing a five-story building with first-floor coffee shops and a restaurant, a place to buy the newspaper. Then we can put some parking so you can double or triple the parking in a downtown area. And then you can put different levels of housing, affordable all the way up to luxury on the rooftop, and why not have a restaurant on the top?

I see that every single day. And there's proof of it. But we need to open up this idea to others, those communities that are resistant, because this is the future. This is how we can keep New Yorkers right here and give them, as Paul mentioned, a home because we're bringing the jobs. We're bringing thousands of jobs here, all over our state, but if people can't find a place to live, they're going to Connecticut and they're going to New Jersey because here's the news flash. They're eating our lunch when it comes to building houses. They're building so much more. Every area. Washington D. C., Philadelphia, and Boston, double, triple the amount of housing in the suburban areas than we're doing right here in New York. So, it's not going to work, my friends. We have to jumpstart the building of more housing.

And in time, people will look back at us and say we had the guts to do this, overcome barriers, but we did it together. And now look at us. Now look at New York. And that's what I'm committed to. I believe that good affordable housing is a human right. I've said that all my life. My parents were involved in integrating white neighborhoods back in the 60s when I was a little kid. They were the founders of an organization locally called Housing Opportunities Made Equal. I believe in this to my core. And now as governor to be in a position to do something about that, to open up our communities and give people homes, that's something I cherish. The opportunity to work with the people here, the people who believe in communities like Yonkers, and those communities all over the state that are looking for. The same kind of enlightened leadership that we have right here.

So, thank you, everyone. Look forward to seeing not just this groundbreaking, but I love the ribbon cuttings even more. So, invite me back, Rella. Thank you. Congratulations.

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