New Website for the Harbors at Haverstraw

Ginsburg Development Companies has just updated its website for the Harbors at Haverstraw luxury waterfront community, currently under construction in Haverstraw. Phase I of the project is about 75% complete. Already, hundreds have moved into their new homes in Haverstraw. Most of the large condominium buildings & clubhouse building are also complete. The Harbors at Haverstraw is only the first of three waterfront communities that are planned to grace the banks of the Hudson River in the Village of Haverstraw.

The above was brought to you by www.HaverstrawLife.com

Support for Tappan Zee Alernative 4A

The Tappan Zee Bridge task force has whittled down the list of alternatives for replacement or maintenance of the Tappan Zee Bridge (I-287) corridor. They have settled on six alternatives: (1) No build – maintain the bridge “as is,” (2) Rehabilitate the existing bridge with seismic and structural upgrades, (3) a new bridge and full corridor Bus Rapid Transit , (4A) a new bridge and full corridor Commuter Rail Transit, (4B) Manhattan-bound commuter rail from Rockland with Light Rail across Westchester, and (4C) Manhattan-bound commuter rail from Rockland with bus rapid transit across Westchester. If Alternative 3 is not chosen (alternatives 1 and 2 are unlikely), then commuter rail from Rockland is a definite. HaverstrawLife would like to garner support for Alternative 4A, Full Corridor Commuter Rail Transit. HaverstrawLife feels that full corridor rail, with many new stations in Rockland and Westchester and connections to the Metro North Hudson and New Haven Lines, with transfers to all other NJ Transit and Metro North lines, would provide Rocklanders with the best chance at overcoming immobility in the region. We must learn that the deemphasis of the automobile in transportation is necessary to ensure a prosperous future. Please, HELP BUILD ALTERNATIVE 4A! For more information, please visit the Alternatives Analysis presented by Metro North Railroad, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the New York State Thruway Authority.

Our Neighbor Gets a Facelift

The Ossining Ferry dock and train station area is about to undergo a complete transformation into a beautifully appointed mixed-use neighborhood. Ginsburg Development Companies and Capelli Enterprises have teamed up to build One Harbor Square between the existing ferry pier and the Metro North train station. Easy access to New York City, the rest of Westchester, and Haverstraw make this location priceless. HaverstrawLife welcomes our neighbor’s development, as it will help spur commerce between the Haverstraw Pier and the Ossining Pier. New restaurants will surely emerge on both sides of the Hudson, within walking distance of the ferry piers to accommodate this new market of consumers. Read more about the project here.

Revamping the Village’s Streets

The Village of Haverstraw recently applied for a Federal Community Block Grant that might supply the Village with $2 million needed to improve drainage and the quality of its streets. The money will be used for paving, work on crosswalks, and drainage systems for New Main Street, West, Lincoln, Broad, and Sharp Streets. The first phase of the project will continue through summer 2007 and end in the fall. The Village is hoping to receive $250,000 for its long-awaited streetscape enhancement work, which will supply Broadway, New Main, and Main Street with historical lighting, brick crosswalks, benches, and trash receptacles. Many local merchants are hoping that a plan to expand the width of sidewalks will allow them to offer outdoor dining. Read more about it here.

Ferry’s Move to Main Street Approved

The Haverstraw – Ossining Ferry by New York Waterway and the future Haverstraw – Yonkers – Lower Manhattan Ferry by New York Water Taxi are soon to move to the end of Main Street in the Village of Haverstraw. The plans, refined during summer 2006, have been approved recently by local and state officials. M G McLaren Engineering Group is continuing to work out the details and technical plans of the ferries’ new docks and facilities. The NY Water Taxi service to Lower Manhattan, with service to Yonkers in between, is expected to begin in late spring at the existing Haverstraw Ferry Pier on Dr. Girling Drive in the Village of Haverstraw. There is no publicly known timeline for the Main Street ferry terminal project, although some guess that ferries will be mooring at the base of Main Street as early as 2008 or 2009.

Correction: The NY Water Taxi Ferry from Haverstraw to World Financial Center and Pier 11 Wall Street, with stopping service in Yonkers, is expected to begin on August 1, 2007. More information here.

Funds for Short Clove Road Overpass

The Federal Transportation Bill of 2005 allotted a significant amount of funds for the reconstruction of the Short Clove Road and Route 9W intersection, which includes construction of twin-bridge overpasses that will carry Short Clove Road over the West Shore Rail Line below. The current intersection is known to be one of the worst in New York State due to high train activity, steep grades, and heavy trucking from the Tilcon quarrying operation nearby. The following press release from the office of New York Senator Charles Schumer details funding and construction plans:

Midrises Coming to Maple Avenue?

Recently, in the Rockland Journal News, a developer who owns several apartment buildings at the corner of Maple Avenue and West Street in the Village of Haverstraw released his plan to build four- and six-story apartment buildings after completion of demolition of his existing properties. The present apartment complex has been a source of blight along Maple Avenue for decades now. The proposal for midrise buildings came under scrutiny by some Village board members, who said “Haverstraw is not New York City” and “…six-stories is too tall for Haverstraw.” The proposal includes construction of 150 new rental and for sale units that range from studio apartments to two-bedroom lofts. The proposed project is in a crucial redevelopment area adjacent to the $500,000,000 Harbors at Haverstraw community. With proper design and implementation, the Maple Avenue/West Street area can become a vital entranceway to downtown Haverstraw and to the waterfront.  

Governor Pataki and Haverstraw

Governor George E. Pataki has continually supported the Haverstraw Revitalization effort. In his last round of grant distribution, Pataki released $3 million more toward the $150 million needed to continue Haverstraw’s rennaissance. This last funding happened in October of 2002. Since then, numerous projects in the Village have been earmarked by the state and federal government (like the Short Clove Road train overpass that has been funded and is in design stages). Rockland County government has also come through with millions of dollars for Haverstraw. Read about Governor Pataki’s thoughts on Haverstraw here.

Martin Ginsburg on Haverstraw Ferries

Martin Ginsburg, who could quite possibly go down along with Mayor “Bud” Wassmer as men who “saved Haverstraw,” is the father of waterfront development in the Village of Haverstraw. The Harbors at Haverstraw, and subsequent communities that will follow it, are at any length children of Mr. Ginsburg. Thanks to him and his corporation,Ginsburg Development Corporation, the face of Haverstraw will be forever altered… for the better. Recently, in the Rockland Journal News, Mr. Ginsburg wrote a Community View in favor of ferry transport from Haverstraw and elsewhere in the Hudson River Valley:

Revitalizing Haverstraw in the Eyes of Bob Baird

There’s no overestimating the value of access to the Hudson River, and so there’s no way to put a price on the promenade being built in Haverstraw as part of builder Martin Ginsburg’s Harbors at Haverstraw development.

The promenade, which will run for 1.5 miles along the riverfront, will cost $14 million to build. Ginsburg will gradually line that part of the river with 850 units of mostly luxury housing.

Think of it like one of those credit card commercials.

New housing replacing mostly abandoned industrial sites: $400 million.

A 12-foot-wide walkway with benches, decorative lighting and historical markers: $14 million.

Public access to 1.5 miles of the Hudson River: Priceless.

Ferry Future, and Present…

New York Waterway Ferry

For almost five years now New York Waterway has been operating the popular Haverstraw-Ossining ferry service between the Village of Haverstraw waterfront and the Ossining Metro-North train station. New studies have shown that more ferry service could be just as successful. Service from Haverstraw to the Yonkers Pier and then to the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan could be coming as soon as the spring! The Times Herald-Record and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have posted press releases detailing the plans of the new ferry service. Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey has also worked to secure $1.2 million for these new ferry updates. This project is almost certain to become a reality. Also, McLaren Engineering is in the final stretches of its Environmental Review of the construction of a large parking facility which will serve a new ferry terminal and pier at the end of Main Street in Haverstraw. The current ferry slip will move over to Main Street within the next three years, offering more ferry service and updated and high-tech passenger waiting facilities and accomodations. Here are a couple articles to read up on. The previous links included in the text bring you to the above mentioned articles and press releases. Also, check out the Rockland Journal News article on improving mass transit in the Rockland area. The ferry did extremely well with ridership during last August’s gas price-hike due to Hurricane Katrina. This is extremely exciting for the advancement of Haverstraw in that it will bring new patrons to Haverstraw’s Downtown and will spark new interest in travel on the Hudson.

Haverstraw’s Renaissance

The New York Times has published numerous articles on the developement and revitalization of the Village of Haverstraw. Read here about the future of the waterfront! Also, the Rockland Journal News released some coverage on Haverstraw's renewal and revitalization.

Welcome to Haverstraw’s Future

I’ve dedicated this site to the advancement and revitalization of the Village of Haverstraw, a community at the widest point of the Hudson River in New York. This small city of 11,000 people on 2 square miles is set below a dramatic back-drop between the jagged edifice of High Tor Mountain and the expanse of Haverstraw Bay on the Hudson. The village is currently undergoing an almost billion dollar transformation, and is on the path to becoming one of the premier places to visit along the Hudson River. I hope you will use this site as a tool to explore and discover the historic Village of Haverstraw.