HAVERSTRAW - A piece of this riverfront village's revitalization took a ceremonial step forward as state and local dignitaries celebrated the launch of Village Square Apartments, the first major development to be built in the heart of downtown Haverstraw.
Secretary of State Walter Mosley joined Haverstraw village Mayor Mike Kohut and others on Oct. 7 to laud what would be the market-rate apartment complex that will be sited at what's now just a hole in the ground. Kohut said he expected it to be ready for occupancy sometime in 2028.
The five-story, 61-unit complex, at 49 West Broad St., received $1.4 million of the village's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Program funding awarded by the Department of State in 2021. The developer
is Avrohom Schwartz.
The Village Square will have one-bedroom to three-bedroom units, with 10% set aside as affordable housing. The development will also include a cafe on the first floor.
'We need all aspects of housing'
The Village Square is being built where the Graziosi building once stood. Even in its 1970s heyday, the medical complex was never fully occupied.
Mosley recalled Haverstraw village's industrial history as the brickmaking capital of the world. At one point, 40 companies were digging up the precious red clay; two-thirds of New York City's brick buildings were built with Havertraw's products.
Former industrial and manufacturing communities around New York state, like Haverstraw village, face similar challenges, Mosley said. The Graziosi building had become a symbol of that, an "empty shell of a building creating blight."
Haverstraw has long been known as a diverse newcomer community; about 80% of residents are nonwhite and about two-thirds Hispanic.
Kohut, a Democrat, referenced fellow Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul's view that "we need all aspects of housing."
Kohut said that market-rate housing was an important fit for the working-class village. "Other dollars come to those dollars," he said of the importance of investing in the village.
"It's very important for us to see and for the public to see," Kohut said.
Haverstraw sees a slew of housing plans
The Village Square Apartments project is just part of the changing landscape of Haverstraw village.
- 30 West, an 81-unit affordable apartment building that broke ground in June, is located on a former municipal parking lot on West and Maple streets, just a few blocks south of village hall. The project, being built by Yonkers-based nonprofit WestHab, will be priced for tenants earning up to 60% of the area's median income, or around $68,000 for a single person.
- The Chair Factory, a riverfront jut of property that sits north of Main Street, is amid approvals for a massive project that would add 450 housing units of workforce, senior and market-rate units.
Village Square and the Chair Factory received funding from the $10 million DRI award. Other projects in the village include: an outdoor recreation center/basketball courts; downtown murals; a pocket park on Main Street; and façade fixes.
Nancy Cutler writes about People & Policy for lohud.com and the USA Today Network New York. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her on Twitter, Threads and Instagram at @nancyrockland.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Haverstraw sees downtown revitalization take step forward
