Yonkers' 92-unit senior housing development will conclude long rebuild of public housing
YONKERS — A decade-long redevelopment for a blighted public housing complex has entered its final stages.
On June 25, city officials broke ground on the final phase of transforming the former Cottage Place Gardens public housing complex.
Willow at the Ridgeway, an eight-story senior housing development at 23 Bishop W.J. Walls Place, will include 92 units designated for seniors on the city's section 8 waitlist.
Amenities are to include free internet, air-conditioning, energy-efficient appliances, laundry rooms on each floor, a community room, fitness center, raised garden beds, a bocce court and a resident terrace with seating and a solar canopy.
Construction is expected to be completed in October 2026.
More: Tenants begin moving into Hudson Piers, largest waterfront development in Yonkers
The development marks the final step in a six-phase revitalization of a public housing complex originally built in 1945. The master plan, first outlined 15 years ago, aims to replace the old structures with modern housing located close to the downtown Yonkers waterfront district.
Previous phases of the redevelopment plan include 188 Warburton Ave., School House Terrace and The Villas at the Ridgeway, which collectively offer hundreds of apartment units and townhomes.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said the goal is to build a community that offers the quality of new market-rate housing developments. He added former residents of Cottage Place Gardens would be given priority to return.
'We want to transform our city and we want our city to be inclusive,' Spano said. 'We want to make sure we're bringing people into our city but not chasing people out of our city. Giving our seniors a building to age in place.'
The $81 million final phase replaces three vacant public housing buildings on the site and will offer 85 one-bedroom units and seven two-bedroom units, ranging in size of 550 to 800 square feet. The units are set aside for residents earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income, or between $35,000 to $71,400 annually.
Developed by The Community Builders and the Mulford Corporation, a nonprofit affiliate of the Yonkers Housing Authority, Willow at the Ridgeway also incorporates energy-efficiency features such as all-electric, rooftop solar panels.
Funding for the project comes from state and local municipalities, including the City of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York State Housing Finance Agency and the Home and Community Renewable agency.
It is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's $25 billiony, five-year housing plan, which has financed nearly 3,200 affordable homes in Westchester.
Helu Wang covers economic growth and real estate for The Journal News/lohud and USA Today Network. Reach her at hwang@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers NY begins final phase of 15-year rebuild of public housing
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