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City officials announced this week that they have reached the agreement to construct the new Public Works Operations Center - more commonly referred to as City Yard - in the ground level of the busy Home Depot/Costco complex at Nardozzi Place.
Under the terms of the agreement, a private developer will construct a 245,000-square-foot commercial structure, then lease 130,000-square-feet at the ground level for city use. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
"In addition to providing much-needed modern, efficient facilities for our Public Works Department, this step will also permit redevelopment of the Echo Bay waterfront, where our existing, aging public works yard is presently located," New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said when announcing the proposal.
The City Council unanimously agreed at their most recent meeting to authorize New Rochelle City Manager Chuck Strome III to "enter into a sublease with the New Rochelle Corporation for Local Development for hte city to occupty the estimated 130,000-square-foot as its Department of Public Works operations center at 70 Nardozzi Place."
The plans for a new City Yard has been in the works for several years.
On Nov. 13, 2012, the City Council determined that it was in the city’s best interest to finance the design of a new City Yard and authorized $25 million in bonds. Since then, city officials “expended substantial time and resources in an effort to locate an acceptable site for a new facility.”
According to New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, the new City Yard comes at a critical time, as the current antiquated facility on East Main Street is more than a century old.
“Our existing City Yard is in deplorable condition and requires a constant stream of emergency appropriations to keep it up and running,” he said when announcing the plan. “Think of it like a beat-up old car with 200,000 miles on the odometer, it’s risky to drive and urgently needs replacement. The new City Yard will enable us to deliver essential public works services effectively and efficiently for decades to come.”
The five-story development will include approximately 245,000-square-feet, including 187 parking spaces. The City Yard will span 130,000-square-feet on the ground level with more than 40,000-square-feet of commercial retail space. The lease will be for a term of 45 years with the city paying no more than $260,000 annually in rent.
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